STEPHEN  Bo  WEEKS 

CLASS  OF  1886;  PH.D.  THE  JOHNS  HOPKINS  UNIVERSITY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  N0M1 CAMJNA 
THE  WEEKS  COLLECTION 

OF 

CAMINHANA 


(L^lcy.  \  -Sms 


2  2*0 


- 


BSK  iff  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00040613942 


This  book  must  not 
be  taken  from  the 
Library  building. 


im  JJTU  HAS  BEEN 


Form  No.  471 


M/CR0R..MED 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://archive.org/details/southernexplorerOObanv 


SOUTHERN 


EXPLORERS  AND  COLONISTS, 


AS   ILLUSTRATED   IN 


THE     EARLY     EVENTS     CONNECTED     WITH     THE     FRENCH 

SETTLEMENT     AT     FORT     CAROLINA,    THE     SPANISH 

COLONY  AT  ST.  AUGUSTINE,  AND  THE  ENGLISH 

PLANTATION  AT  JAMESTOWN. 


V 


C    ift-  (41 

By  JOSEPH  BANVARD,  D.D. 


BOSTON": 
PUBLISHED   BY   P.  LOTHROP   &   CO. 


COPYRIGHT    BY 

D.     LOTHROP    &    CO. 

1880. 


Press  of  Rockwell  and  Churchill, 
39  Arch  St.,  Boston. 


PREFACE. 


The  early  colonial  history  of  the  Southern 
States  abounds  in  incidents  of  a  highly  roman- 
tic nature,  especially  Florida  and  Virginia. 
Some  of  these  have  found  their  way  into  the 
various  Histories  of  the  United  States,  and 
others  have  not.  A  particular  narration  of  all 
the  events  of  all  the  states  of  the  Union  would 
be  a  work  so  voluminous  as,  by  its  magnitude, 
to  deter  many  from  its  perusal.  Hence  writers 
on  the  history  of  the  whole  country,  from  its 
discovery,  are,  from  the  necessity  of  the  case, 
obliged  to  condense  their  accounts,  and  even 
reject  much  that  is  interesting. 

In  this  work  an  opposite  course  has  been 
pursued.  A  limited  extent  of  country  and  a 
comparatively  short  period  of  time  have  been 
embraced,  and  the  interesting  incidents  which 
occurred  within  those  limits  minutely  related. 
They  pass  before  the  eye  in  their  various  bril- 
liant or  sombre  hues,  like  a  continuous  picture ; 
1* 


6  PREFACE. 

enabling  us  to  see  the  trials  and  struggles  of 
the  early  settlers  as  they  contended  with  the 
climate  and  the  elements,  with  the  savage  In- 
dian, or  with  famine  and  disease.  This  por- 
traiture of  events,  in  detail,  imparts  a  far  more 
vivid  conception  of  the  lights  and  shadows  of 
colonial  life  than  could  be  derived  from  a  mere 
general  outline. 

If  this  volume  should  be  the  means  of 
awakening  a  deeper  interest  in  the  early  an- 
nals of  our  country,  and  of  producing  a  higher 
appreciation  of  the  blessings  we  now  enjoy,  by 
contrast  with  the  trials  of  the  first  planters,  its 
object  will  be  gained. 

Without  mentioning  all  the  authorities  which 
have  been  consulted,  it  is  proper  to  state  that 
amongst  the  works  from  which  has  been  de- 
rived special  assistance  were  Hakluyt's  Col- 
lection of  Early  Voyages;  The  Generall  His- 
toric of  Virginia,  by  Captain  John  Smith ; 
Stith's  Essay ;  Bancroft's  History ;  and  the 
Life  of  Captain  Smith,  by  George  S.  Hillard, 
in  Sparks's  valuable  series  of  biographies. 


List  off  Illustration* 


ILLUSTRATED  TITLE  PAGE. 

PAGB 

MAKING  A  CANOE, 59 

PORTRAIT  OF  SIR  WALTER  RALEIGH,         .  .68 

SPANISH  BULL  HUNT, 72 

SIR  WALTER  AND  QUEEN  ELIZABETH,       .  .  .108 

FINDING  THE  BURIED  GOODS 135 

COOKING  OVER  A  NATURAL  SPRING,  .  .  .147 

SMITH  AND  HIS  LIVING  SHIELD,        .  .  .  .171 

INDIAN  REVENGE, 178 

CAPTAIN   SMITH  RESCUED  BY  POCAHONTAS,    .          .    191 
MARRIAGE  OF  POCAHONTAS, 270 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

M.G1 

Admiral  deCoIrgny. —  His  Expedition.  —  John  Ribatilt. —  Discovers  the 
River  May. —  Reception  by  the  Indians.  —  Devotional  Services. — Ex- 
change of  Presents. — Donation  of  Fish.  —  Search  for  the  Jordan. — 
Rivers  with  French  Names.  —  Fort  Carolina  erected.  —  Ribault  re- 
turns. —  The  Colonists  discontented.  —  They  form  a  Conspiracy.  — 
They  kill  their  Commandant.  —  They  build  a  Vessel.  —  Set  out  to 
return.  —  Horrors  of  the  Passage.  —  Picked  up  at  Sea.  —  Coligny  not 
disheartened.  —  Roman  Catholics  and  the  Huguenots.  —  Religious 
Persecutions •■ 19 


CHAPTER    II. 

Opinions  respecting  Florida.  —  Departure  of  Laudonniere.  —  Conduct 
of  the  Indians.  —  Dissensions.  —  Piracy.  —  Fort  Carolina.  —  Wel- 
come Visitors.  —  Kindness  of  Sir  John  Hawkins.  —  Spanish  Claims.  — 
Huguenots.  —  Religious  Antipathies.  —  The  Pirate  Melendez.  —  His 
Agreement  with  the  King.  —  Sets  out  in  Pursuit  of  the  French.  — 


10  CONTENTS. 

Storm  at  Sea.  —  Melendez  separates  from  his  Company.  —  Discovers 
a  safe  Harbor.  —  Its  Name,  and  the  Reason  of  it.  —  Melendez  finda 
the  French  Fleet.  —  His  cruel  Message.  —  The  French  flee.  —  Are 
pursued  unsuccessfully.  —  The  oldest  Town  in  the  United  States...    29 


CHAPTER    III. 

Etibault  returns.  —  Fears.  —  Divided  Counsels.  —  A  great  Tempest  — 
Spaniards  attack  the  French.  —  Scenes  of  Carnage.  —  Unnecessary 
Cruelty.  —  Religious  Ceremonies.  —  Deceptive  Offers.  —  Captives 
murdered.  —  The  Catholics  spared.  —  Insulting  Sentence.  —  Justifi- 
cation.—  Royal  Indifference. — De  Gourgues  seeks  Revenge.  —  At- 
tacks the  Spaniards.  —  Is  successful. — Retaliatory  Sentence.  —  The 
French  relinquish  Florida 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Catholic  Priests.  —  Augustin  Ruyz.  —  New  Mexico  explored.  —  Sir 
Humphrey  Gilbert. —  Visits  Newfoundland.  —  Supposed  Discovery  of 
Silver.  —  Secret  mining  Operations.  —  A  Vessel  lost.  —  Severe  Weath- 
er.—  Sir  Humphrey  lost  in  the  Squirrel.  —  Sir  Walter  Raleigh.  —  His 
Perseverance.  —  Wococon. — Interviews  with  the  Natives.  —  Gran- 
ganimeo.  —  His  Court  Etiquette.  —  Visit  of  L'erainony.  —  His  Wife.  — 
Their  Dresses.  —  The  Chief's  Monopoly 48 


CHAPTER    V. 

Indian  Prudence.  —  Method  of  making  Canoes.  —  Character  of  Gran- 
ganimeo.  —  Visit  to  Roanoke.  —  Indian  Hospitality.  —  Female  Kind- 
ness. —  Character  and  Habits  of  the  Natives.  —  English  Timidity. — 
Gratitude.  —  Shipwrecked  white  Men.  —  Their  fatal  Adventure.  — 


CONTENTS.  11 

Wonder  of  the  Natives.  —  Their  Weapons  and  Modes  of  Warfare.  — 
The  Secotanites.  —  A  great  Feast.  —  A  dreadful  Slaughter.  —  The 
English  Captains  return  Home.  —  They  take  with  them  two  In- 
dians       53 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Glowing  Accounts  of  the  new  Countries.  —  Origin  of  the  Name  Vir- 
ginia. —  Sir  Walter  Raleigh's  Privileges.  —  Greenville's  Expedition.  — 
Touch  at  Porto  Eico.  —  False  Promises.  —  Fiery  Retaliation.  —  Ban- 
quets. —  Bull  Hunt.  —  Bargaining.  —  Dangerous  Sport.  —  Fine  Fish- 
ing. —  A  Message  to  Wingina.  —  Exploring  Expedition.  —  The  stolen 
Cup.  —  Severe  Revenge. —  Granganimeo's  last  Visit.  —  Greenville 
returns.  —  Comparative  Dates 67 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Explorations.  —  Description  of  the  Country.  —  An  intelligent  Captive.  — 
Pearls.  —  Menatonon —  Two  Companies.  —  Assignation.  —  A  marvel- 
lous River.  —  Pemissapan's  Treachery.  —  Concealment  of  the  In- 
dians. —  Critical  Situation.  —  The  Governor's  Policy.  —  Firmness  of 
the  Company.  —  Dog  Porridge.  —  Rumors  of  Gold.  —  Mining  Opera- 
tions. —  Perseverance  of  the  Company.  —  Lane's  interesting  Ac- 
count. —  Attack  by  the  Indians.  —  They  retreat  to  the  Woods.  — 
The  perilous  Return 76 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

New  Plots.  —  The  Colony  in  great  Jeopardy.  —  Indian  Funeral  Cus- 
toms. —  Murders  projected.  —  The  Plot  revealed.  —  The  Watch- 
word. —  Pemissapan  slain.  —  The  Colony  saved  —  A  Fleet.  —  Pain- 


12  CONTENTS. 

ful  Suspense.  —  Relief.  —  Sir  Francis  Drake.  —  His  Kindness.  —  Great 
Storm.  —  Its  Effects.  —  The  Colonists  disheartened.  —  Drake  takea 
them  on  Board.  —  Character  of  Lane.  —  Arrival  of  Supplies,  but  no 
Colony.  —  Their  Return.  —  Arrival  of  Sir  Richard  Greenville.  —  His 
Surprise.  —  His  Reiurn.  —  He  leaves  fifteen  Men.  —  He  destroys 
Spanish  Towns , 89 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Indian  Clothing.  —  Their  Weapons.  —  Their  Houses.  —  Mode  of  War- 
fare.—  Their  religious  Opinions.  —  Stories  about  Resurrection  from 
the  Dead — Astonishment  at  certain  English  Articles.  — Their  Opin- 
ions of  the  English.  —  Their  religious  Instruction.  —  Their  singular 
Treatment  of  the  Bible.  —  Requests  for  Prayers.  —  Strange  Sick- 
ness. —  How  it  was  accounted  for.  —  English  thought  to  be  Gods.  — 
Invisible  Bullets.  —  Indian  Uses  of  Tobacco.  —  Snuff  for  Fish. — 
Raleigh's  Wager  with  the  Queen.  —  A  Man  on  Fire.  —  Permanence 
of  Indian  Customs 98 


CHAPTER    X. 

A  new  Colony.  — An  Obstinate  Pilot.  — Search  for  the  Fifteen.  —  Con- 
dition of  Roanoke.  —  Affecting  Scene.  —  Repairs  begun.  —  The  Pi- 
lot's Designs  defeated.  —  Death  of  Mr.  George  Howe  by  the  In- 
dians. —  A  welcome  Reception.  —  A  Badge  of  Friendship  desired.  — 
A  formal  Conference.  —  Fate  of  the  Fifteen.  —  Attack  of  the  In- 
dians.—  The  English  defeated.  —  False  Promises.  —  A  Midnight 
Excursion.  —  Indians  surprised.  —  A  fatal  Mistake.  —  How  it  oc- 
curred.—  Manteo  blames  the  Indians.  —  Manteo  christened.  —  First 
English  Child  born.—  Virginia  Dare llfl 


CONTENTS.  13 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Spanish  Armada.  —  All  England  aroused.  —  Noble  Speech  of  the 
Queen.  —  Splendid  Sight.  —  English  Stratagem.  —  Signal  Defeat.  — 
The  Armada  destroyed.  — White's  Perseverance.  —  Success.  —  Disap- 
pointment —  Great  Smoke,  but  no  People.  —  Fatal  Accident.  —  A 
musical  Call.  —  No  Response.  —  Significant  Letters,  Croatan.  — 
Goods  dug  up.  —  Water  wanted.  —  Severe  Weather.  —  Victuals 
scarce.  —  Strange  Decision.  —  The  Colonists  abandoned  to  their 
Fate.  —  A  subsequent  Tradition  concerning  them.  —  Its  Uncer- 
tainty.—  Present  State  of  Roanoke 121 


CHAPTER    XII. 

The  two  Companies.  —  The  obnoxious  Charter.  —  Divine  Providence  - 
controlling  Nations. —  Rev.  Mr.  Hunt.  —  His  Troubles  and  Persever- 
ance. —  The  Missionary  Spirit.  —  Hot  Springs.  —  Numerous  Birds.  — 
Captain  John  Smith.  —  His  Popularity. — His  Imprisonment.  —  The 
two  Capes.  —  The  Landing.  —  Attack  of  the  Savages. — Their  Re- 
pulse. —  Oysters.  —  Flowers. —  Strawberries.  —  Point  Comfort.  —  The 
Sealed  Box. — Anxiety  to  open  it.  —  Its  Contents.  —  The  Officers  of 
the  Colony.  —  Explanations.  —  A  Place  for  a  Settlement 143 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Smith  unjustly  ejected  from  the  Council.  —  Building  of  Jamestown.  — 
Wingfield's  Indiscretion.  —  Romantic  Residence  of  the  Indian  King.— 
Powhatan's  Conduct.  —  Attack  on  Jamestown.  —  Prowling  Indians.  — 
Ambuscades.  —  Severe  Toil.  —  Attempt  to  send  Smith  Home.  —  Cap- 
tain Smith's  Trial. —  His  honorable  Acquittal.  —  President  Wingfield 
convicted  and  sentenced.  —  Smith's  Disinterestedness.  — Good  Influ- 

2 


14  CONTENTS. 

ence  of  Mr.  Hunt.  —  Smith  admitted  to  the  Council  Board.  — Singu- 
lar Fact.  —  Interesting  Coincidence MA 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Quaint  Language The  President's  Selfishness. —  Trials  of  the  Plant- 
ers. —  Frequent  Deaths.  —  The  President's  Imbecility.  —  Smith's  In- 
fluence.—  His  Example  of  Industry.  —  Dwellings  provided — Pro- 
visions scarce. —  Smith  searches  the  Country  for  Food.  —  Insulting 
Offers  of  the  Savages.  —  Smith's  Treatment  of  them.  —  Terrific  At- 
tack.—  Peace  and  Provisions  secured. — Bartering.  —  Smith  cen- 
sured.—  Exploring  Excursion.  —  Wastefulness  of  the  Planters. — 
Wingfield's  Plot.  —  Its  Detection  and  Prevention. —  Abundance  of 
Game.  —  Smith  examines  the  Chickahominy  Kiver.  —  He  leaves  his 
Boat,  and  takes  to  a  Canoe 159 


CHAPTER    XV. 

Disobeying  Orders.  —  Its  painful  Consequence.  —  Fate  of  two  Canoe 
Men. — Indian  Skill  in  Trailing.  —  A  live  Shield.  —  An  Accident.— 
Smith  captured.  —  His  Policy.  —  Exhibits  a  Pocket  Compass.  —  Gives 
a  Lecture.  —  Great  Astonishment.  —  Smith  sentenced  to  die.  —  His 
Reprieve.  —  Triumphal  Procession.  —  How  Smith  is  fed.  —  He  suffers 
from  Cold.  —  Gratitude  in  an  Indian. —  Revenge.  —  Reward  offered 
for  Treason.  —  Mysterious  Note.  —  Indians  visit  Jamestown.  —  Their 
Reception.  —  Effect  of  the  Note.  —  Finding  of  Toys.  —  Srcith  pub- 
licly exhibited 169 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Bingular  Costume.  —  Mysterious  Ceremony.  —  Its  Explanation. —  Smith 
favored  —  Visits   Opitchaptm.  —  Indian   Beggars  —  Apprehensions 


CONTENTS.  15 

of  Danger.  —  Powder  planted.  —  Emperor  Powhatan.  —  Indian  Splen- 
dor.—  Guards.  —  Their  severe  Discipline.  —  Subordinate  Kings.— 
Indian  Toilet.  —  The  Emperor's  Court.  —  The  Consultation.  —  Smith's 
Sentence.  -Wonderful  Deliverance. —  Pocahontas. — Executioners 
disappointed Smith  a  Toy  Maker.  — "  The  Chieftain's  Daugh- 
ter." —  Female  Kindness.  —  A  sympathizing  Brother 183 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

Smith  released.  —  His  Suspicions.  —  The  Cannon  and  the  Grindstone.  — 
Powder  frightens.  —  Plot  arrested.  —  The  President  imprisoned.  — 
Pocahontas  again.  —  Her  timely  Supplies.  —  Smith  regarded  with 
Reverence.  —  His  Prediction  fulfilled.  —  Ceremonial  Visit.  —  New- 
port frightened.  —  Powhatan's  State.  —  Smith  visits  him  fearlessly.  — 
His  Reception.  —  Newport  gathers  Courage.  —  Royal  Shrewdness.  — 
Newport  cheated.  —  Smith's  Indignation.  —  His  successful  Cun- 
ning. —  The  Biter  bitten 195 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Value  of  blue  Beads.  —  A  Conflagration.  —  Mr.  Hunt's  Trials  and  Pa- 
tience. —  Gold  Fever.  —  The  Phoenix.  —  Turkeys  and  Swords.  — 
Weapons  stolen.  —  Smith's  Decision.  —  Powhatan  negotiates  through 
Pocahontas.  —  She  is  successful.  —  Unreasonable  Complaints.  —  Ce- 
dar against  Gold.  —  Chesapeake  Bay  explored.  —  A  noble  Chief. — 
Places  named.  —  Suffer  for  Water.  —  A  Storm.  —  Limbo.  —  Shirt 
Sails. —  Wild  Men.  —  Stratagem  defeated.  —  Effects  of  Kindness. — 
Indian  Merchants.  —  The  Party  discouraged.  —  Smith's  Persever- 
ance. —  Treachery  discovered.  —  Timely  Supplies 208 


1 


16  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Another  Mineral  Fever.  —  Frying  Pan  and  Fishes.  —  Accident  —  Sting- 
ray. —  Smith's  Grave  dug,  but  not  used.  —  A  disguised  Boat  — 
Smith  elected  President.  —  Another  Expedition.  —  A  successful  Ar- 
tifice —  The  Tockwoghs.  —  The  acceptable  Falsehood.  —  Great  Joy. — 
A  Visit  from  the  Sasquesahanocks.  —  They  worship  Smith,  and  offer 
him  a  Chieftaincy.  —  Treachery  of  the  Rappahanocks.  —  Todkill's 
narrow  Escape.  —  A  novel  Expedient  —  More  Deception.  —  Indians 
whipped  into  Feace. —  A  Cluster  of  Evils 221 


CHAPTER    XX. 

Smith   installed    Governor.  —  Newport  returns.  —  Smith    outvoted 

Pocahontas.  —  Her  Amusements  for  Smith. — Powhatan's  Haughti- 
ness.—  Inappropriate  Presents.  —  A  Coronation  not  understood. — 
Stingy  Reciprocity.  —  The  Manakins  found.  —  Their  Exclusiveness.  — 
Seeking  Merchandise. —  Novel  Employment.  —  A  queer  Cure  for 
Profanity.  —  Selfishness  fatal  to  the  general  Good.  —  Newport  dissat- 
isfied.—  Is  glad  to  return  to  England. — Probably  misrepresents  the 
Colony 239 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

Trials. — Powhatan's  Invitation.  —  Smith  visits  him.  —  Keeps  Christ- 
mas.—  Powhatan's  Deception.  —  A  villanous  Plot —  Pocahontas  de- 
feats it  —  She  declines  Rewards. —  Distressing  Calamity.  —  A  Mes- 
senger to  Smith.  —  His  Life  sought.  —  Pocahontas  conceals  .and  saves 
him. —  A  supposed  Miracle.  —  Mysterious  Explosion. —  Ratcliffe  and 
others  slain.  —  Pocahontas  saves  a  Boy.  —  Unparalleled  Sufferings.  — 
Largo  Numbers   die.  —  The    Town    abandoned.  —  Lord    Delaware 


CONTENTS.  17 

arrives.  —  The    Settlers  return.  —  A    Sermon.  —  Lord    Delaware's 
Promptness  and  Energy.  —  The  Colony  revived 244 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

Pocahontas  concealed.  — Treacherous  Japazaws.  —  His  cunning  Plot,  — 
Pocahontas  betrayed.  —  She  becomes  captive  to  Argall.  —  Copper 
Kettle.  —  Powhatan's  Policy.  —  A  Truce.  —  Pocahontas  and  her 
Brothers.  —  Messengers  to  Powhatan.  —  Are  unsuccessful.  —  Pocahon- 
tas in  Love.  —  She  marries  an  Englishman.  —  Effects  of  her  Mar- 
riage. —  She  is  instructed  in  Religion.  —  Is  converted.  —  Her  differ- 
ent Names.  —  Stith's  Testimony  of  her 263 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

Pocahontas  visits  England.  —  Smith's  Letter  to  the  Queen.  —  He  meets 
Pocahontas.  —  Her  Coolness  and  Rebukes.  —  Smith's  Apology.  —  Re- 
ply of  Pocahontas.  —  Smith  introduces  her  to  the  Nobility.  —  Poc- 
ahontas visits  the  King  and  Queen.  —  Her  graceful  Deportment.  — 
She  goes  to  various  Places  of  Amusement.  —  Her  Husband  appointed 
Secretary.  —  Pocahontas  dies.  —  Sorrow  and  Joy.  —  She  leaves  one 
Child.  —  Steukley's  Treachery.  —  Her  Child  taken  to  his  Uncle's.  — 
The  Descendants  of  Pocahontas.  —  John  Randolph.  —  Story  of  Tom- 
ocomo 273 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

toung  Ladies  imported.  —  Interesting  Scene.  —  Long  Courtships  pre- 
vented.—  Buying  Wives.  —  Their  Value  in  Tobacco. — Wise  Ar- 
rangement. —  Its  desirable  Effects —  Slaves  introduced.  —  Increase 
of  Plantations.  —  Deceptive    Peace.  —  A  dark  Plot    forming.  —  An 

2* 


18  CONTENTS. 

•xtensive  Conspiracy.  —  A  dreadful  Massacre. — Barbarous  Mutila- 
tions.—Jamestown  saved.  —  Chanco's  Disclosure.  —  Results  of  the 
Conspiracy 283 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

Effects  of  the  Massacre. — A  difficult  Question.  —  Smith's  Proposal.—. 
Indian  War.  —  Stringent  Treatment.  —  A  second  Massacre. —  Ope- 
chancanough  a  Prisoner.  —  He  is  murdered.  —  Border  War.  —  The 
Indians  conquered.  —  Dissolution  of  the  London  Company.  —  Bap- 
tism enjoined  by   Law. —  Union  of  Church  and   State.  —  Quakers 

condemned.  —  How  to  judge  the  early  Settlers.  —  Church-Wardens 

Laws  concerning  Marriage. —  Concerning  Shipmasters.  —  Whipping 
Posts  and  Ducking  Stools.  —  The  Sabbath.  — Fast.— The  two  Col- 
lujies.  —  Closing  Remark , SM 


CHAPTER    I. 

Admiral  de  Coligny. —  His  Expedition. — JohD  Ribault. —  Dis- 
covers the  River  May.  —  Reception  by  the  Indians. —  De- 
votional Services.  —  Exchange  of  Presents.  —  Donation  of 
Fish.  —  Search  for  the  Jordan.  —  Rivers  with  French  Names.  — 
Fort  Carolina  erected.  —  Ribault  returns.  —  The  Colonists  dis- 
contented.—  They  form  a  Conspiracy.  —  They  kill  their  Com- 
mandant.—  They  build  a  Vessel.  —  Set  out  to  return.  —  Hor- 
rors of  the  Passage.  —  Picked  up  at  Sea.  —  Coligny  not  dis- 
heartened.—  Roman  Catholics  and  the  Huguenots.  —  Religious 
Persecutions. 

A  name  which  occupies  a  conspicuous  place  in 
the  history  of  the  early  settlements  of  North  Amer- 
ica is  that  of  Admiral  de  Coligny,  a  distinguished 
French  Protestant,  with  whom  it  had  long  been  a 
favorite  object  to  establish  a  colony  in  America,  as 
a  place  of  safe  retreat  for  the  Huguenots,  as  the 
French  Protestants  were  then  called,  where  they 
would  be  secure  from  the  persecuting  edicts  of  a 
fanatical  government,  and  of  a  powerful  ecclesias- 
tical hierarchy.  For  the  accomplishment  of  this 
desired  object,  an  expedition  was  finally  planned, 
the  execution  of  which  was  committed  to  a  cou- 
rageous and  experienced  officer  of  Dieppe,  whose 
name  was  John  Ribault.  Instead  of  the  profligate 
inmates  of  prisons,  with  whom  some  previous  at- 
tempts at  forming  settlements  in  North  America  had 


29  CAPTAIN    RIBAULT'S    VOYAGE. 

been  unsuccessfully  made,  he  was  accompanied  by 
some  of  the  flower  of  the  French  nobility,  and  by 
soldiers  of  tried  courage  and  good  discipline. 

Furnished  with  two  ships,  he  safely  crossed  what 
was  then  the  comparatively  unknown  Atlantic,  and 
arrived  upon  the  coast  of  America,  near  the  thir- 
tieth degree  of  north  latitude.  Whilst  sailing  along 
near  the  land,  carefully  observing  the  inequalities 
of  the  shore,  he  discovered  in  the  month  of  May, 
1562,  the  mouth  of  a  river,  which  he  called  River 
of  May  —  a  name,  however,  which  was  not  destined 
to  be  permanent,  as  it  was  afterwards  supplanted  by 
the  "  St.  John's,"  which  it  still  retains. 

Ribault  anchored  at  the  mouth  of  this  river  for 
the  purpose  of  making  an  examination  of  it.  Early 
the  next  morning,  a  boat,  well  filled  with  men,  left 
the  ship  for  that  purpose.  As  it  approached  the 
land,  the  men  on  board  discovered  large  numbers 
of  Indians  of  both  sexes  on  the  shore,  who  had 
come  down  to  give  these  pale-faced  strangers,  who 
had  visited  them  in  their  floating  houses,  a  friendly 
reception.  When  they  arrived  within  hearing,  the 
chief  of  this  people  delivered  a  peaceful  oration, 
and  then  made  presents  of  chamois  skins  to  the 
French  captain. 

On  the  following  day,  Captain  Ribault  planted  a 
pillar  of  hard  stone  on  a  little  swell  of  land  neai 
the  mouth  of  the  river;   and   on    this   pillar   he   en 


A    WELCOME    RECEPTION.  21 

graved  the  arms  of  France,  as  evidence  that  the 
French  had  taken  possession  of  this  country- 
After  sailing  some  dis:ance  farther  up,  he  landed 
again,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  natives,  he  caused 
his  men  to  offer  prayers  and  thanksgiving  to  Al 
mighty  God  for  his  great  kindness  in  conducting 
them  to  this  new  world  without  the  occurrence  of 
any  injury. 

After  these  devotional  services,  the  Indians,  who 
had  been  very  attentive  observers,  rose  up,  and 
advanced  with  their  friendly  salutations  towards 
Ribault,  and  offered  to  introduce  him  to  their  chief, 
who  had  not  arisen  with  the  rest,  but  remained  still 
sitting  upon  a  seat  covered  with  the  leaves  of  the 
bay  and  palm  trees.  Ribault  accepted  of  their 
offer,  approached  the  chief,  took  a  seat  by  his  side, 
and  listened  impatiently  to  a  long  address,  not  one 
word  of  which  could  he  understand.  At  the  close 
of  this  incomprehensible  speech,  the  chief  pre- 
sented the  French  officer  with  a  beautiful  fan  of 
heron's  feathers,  dyed  red,  a  basket  ingeniously 
made  of  the  branches  of  the  palm  tree,  and  a  large 
skin  robe  elegantly  embroidered  with  the  pictures 
of  various  kinds  of  wild  beasts,  and  very  likely  of 
those  which  he  had  slain  in  the  chase.  Ribault,  to 
show  that  he  fully  appreciated  these  acts  of  cour- 
tesy, gave  him  in  return  some  tin  bracelets,  a  look 
ing  glass,  a  cutting  hook,  and  several  knives. 


22  DISCOVERY    OF     PORT    ROYAL. 

When  the  captain  signified  his  intention  to  leave, 
the  friendly  chief  professed  much  sorrow,  and  com- 
manded his  men  to  furnish  the  strangers  with  some 
fish.  They  immediately  entered  into  their  wears, 
which  were  enclosures  made  of  reeds,  for  the  taking 
of  fish,  and  soon  loaded  the  French  with  trouts, 
mullets,  plaice,  turbots,  and  various  other  unknown 
kinds. 

After  leaving  these  friendly  natives,  and  passing 
farther  along  the  coast,  several  other  rivers  were 
discovered,  each  of  which  received  a  French  appel- 
lation, and  generally  after  some  river  in  France,  as 
the  Seine,  the  Loire,  the  Garonne,  &c.  These 
names,  like  the  May,  were  transient. 

Whilst  examining  the  coast  in  order  to  find  the 
Combahee  River,  which  was  then  called  the  Jordan, 
Ribault  discovered  a  noble  inlet,  which  he  desig- 
nated Port  Royal  —  a  name  which  it  has  never  lost. 
Passing  within  this  inlet,  he  landed  on  an  island, 
where,  by  the  formal  erection  of  a  monumental 
stone,  on  which  was  sculptured  the  French  coat  of 
arms,  and  with  other  appropriate  ceremonies,  he 
again  took  possession  of  the  country  in  the  name 
of  the  French  king.  On  this  island  Ribault  set  his 
men  to  work,  who,  in  the  process  of  time,  erected 
a  fort,  to  which  he  gave  t\ie  name  of  Fort  Carolina, 
in  honor  of  Charles  IX.  of  France,  Carolus  being 
the  Latin   for  Charles.     This  name  was   afterwards 


FORT    CAROLINA.  ,23 

extended  to  the  adjacent  country,  and  is  still  re- 
tained by  two  of  the  states  of  the  American  Union, 
It  is  a  circumstance  worthy  of  special  note,  that 
the  French  succeeded  in  impressing  a  permanent 
name  upon  this  portion  of  the  continent  a  century 
prior  to  its  occupation  by  the  English. 

After  the  erection  of  Fort  Carolina,  it  became 
necessary  for  Ribault  to  return  to  France  ;  but 
being  desirous  to  retain  possession  of  the  place 
until  his  return,  he  left  a  colony  of  twenty-six  men 
for  that  purpose.  Although  these  colonists  were 
surrounded  with  groves  of  venerable  trees,  inter- 
mingled with  the  delicate  drapery  of  the  vine,  and 
ornamented  with  a  profusion  of  variegated  flowers ; 
though  Nature  presented  herself  before  them  ar- 
rayed in  her  most  attractive  garb,  filling  the  groves 
with  the  wild  melody  of  unknown  birds,  and  load- 
ing the  air  with  spicy  fragrance;  and  though  the 
untutored  savages  —  the  native  lords  of  the  soil  — 
were  of  a  friendly  disposition,  yet  they  soon  be- 
came discontented.  After  the  departure  of  the 
vessels,  and  these  twenty-six  adventurers  were  left 
the  sole  civilized  occupants  of  a  vast  continent, 
instead  of  adopting  the  policy  which  their  lonely 
situation  required,  and  merging  all  minor  differ- 
ences into  a  union  for  the  general  good,  they  al- 
lowed dissensions  to  creep  in  amongst  them.  A 
spirit  of  insubordination  was  manifested  among  the 


24  CONSPIRACY    AND    MURDEll. 

soldiers,  which  the  commandant  endeavored  to  sup* 
press  by  severe  measures.  The  soldiers  were  in- 
dignant, and  determined  to  be  revenged.  They 
formed  a  conspiracy,  and  took  the  commandant's 
life.  Thus  rebellion  and  murder  were  prominent 
characteristics  in  this  early  attempt  to  form  a  col- 
ony upon  the  shores  of  North  America. 

After  the  death  of  their  officer,  as  supplies  and 
reinforcements  did  not  reach  them,  and  their  con- 
dition was  daily  becoming  worse,  they  concluded 
to  return  home.  To  effect  this  earnestly-desired 
object  was  no  easy  task.  Separated  from  their 
country  by  a  wide  waste  of  waters  of  three  thou- 
sand miles  in  extent,  destitute  of  vessels  and  of 
suitable  materials  for  the  construction  of  one  ad- 
equate to  their  purpose,  —  to  return  must  have 
seemed  almost  hopeless.  But  men  on  the  borders 
of  despair  can  accomplish  wonders.  Gathering 
together  the  best  materials  they  could  find,  they 
constructed  a  rude  brigantine,  rigged  it  as  well  as 
they  were  able,  put  in  a  few  stores,  and  embarked 
upon  their  perilous  voyage.  In  a  few  hours,  they 
were  far  out  upon  the  unexplored  deep.  The  land 
of  their  unhappy  adventures  gradually  sunk  as  they 
receded  from  it,  until  it  appeared  like  a  long,  low, 
black  cloud  resting  upon  the  water  of  the  distant 
horizon.  Presently  it  disappeared  entirely.  Day 
after  day  they  slowly  ploughed  their  way  across  the 


RETURN    OF    THE    COLONISTS.  25 

heaving  billows,  without  apparently  making  any 
progress  ;  for  they  had  no  landmarks  by  which  to 
be  made  sensible  of  advance.  The  same  monot- 
onous scene  was  around  them  at  night  on  which 
they  opened  their  eyes  in  the  morning,  whilst  in 
the  morning  they  seemed  to  be  in  the  same  spot 
where  they  were  when  the  last  rays  of  the  setting 
sun  bade  them  farewell ;  as  if  they  had  anchored 
over  night  to  guard  against  danger  in  the  dark. 
They  seemed  to  be  in  the  centre  of  an  immense 
dome,  without  the  possibility  of  making  any  ap- 
proach towards  the  circumference.  Day  after  day, 
and  week  after  week,  their  eyes  were  greeted  in 
every  direction  by  the  same  meeting  of  sky  and 
water,  and  at  the  same  distance  from  them.  All 
this,  however,  was  only  in  appearance.  They  were 
in  reality  making  progress,  though  not  very  rapidly. 
A  new  calamity  presented  itself.  Either  from 
wrong  calculations  respecting  the  length  of  the 
voyage,  or  the  amount  of  food  the  company  would 
consume  per  day,  or  else  from  necessity,  they  did 
not  put  on  board  sufficient  stores  to  last  them 
during  the  voyage.  They  were  obliged  to  be  put 
upon  short  allowance,  and  even  then  were  doomed 
to  see  their  provisions  grow  smaller  and  small- 
er, until  the  last  portion  was  consumed.  Famine, 
with  its  attendant  horrors,  stared  them  in  the  face. 
In  order  to  continue  their  existence,  they  were 
3 


20  PICKED    UP    AT    SEA. 

reduced  to  the  terrific  necessity  of  eating  the  flesh 
of  one  of  the  company  !  It  was  a  fearful  expedi- 
ent ;  but  men  reduced  to  their  extremity  will  resort 
to  any  measures  to  preserve  existence. 

Life  is  made  up  of  contrasts.  Light  follows 
darkness,  and  smiles  banish  tears.  One  day,  whilst 
they  were  musing  upon  the  perils  of  their  condi- 
tion, and  balancing  the  probabilities,  favorable  and 
unfavorable  of  their  final  deliverance,  they  saw 
indications  of  land.  At  the  same  time,  o  small 
white  speck  presented  itself  upon  the  distant  hori- 
zon. It  gradually  increased,  until  they  were  satis- 
fied that  it  was  a  vessel.  It  was  a  welcome  sisfht, 
as  it  furnished  them  food  for  hope.  All  eyes  were 
strained  to  watch  its  course.  They  steered  their 
own  vessel  in  the  proper  direction  to  meet  it.  For 
a  time  they  were  in  suspense  whether  they  were 
ohserved  by  the  stranger,  or  whether  he  would  pass 
on  and  leave  them.  Their  feelings  were  intense. 
To  their  great  joy,  they  succeeded  in  arresting  his 
attention,  speaking  with  him,  and  relating  their  dis- 
tress. They  were  at  once  taken  on  board  and 
provided  for,  and  thus,  through  the  intervention  of 
a  kind  Providence,  they  were  saved  from  starvation 
and  from  a  watery  grave.  This  vessel  proved  to  be 
an  English  bark.  Some  of  the  men  who  were 
picked  up  were  taken  to  England,  and  others 
landed  in  France.     Thus  terminated    the   first   at- 


ROMANISTS    AND    HUGUENOTS.  ~fii 

tempt  of  the  French  to  establish  a  colony  in  wl.at 
was  then  called  Florida,  near  the  south-eastern 
corner  of  the  present  South  Carolina. 

The  Admiral  de  Coligny,  notwithstanding  the 
disastrous  close  of  this  attempt,  was  not  disheart- 
ened. He  projected  another  settlement,  which, 
however,  was  doomed  to  experience  a  dreadful 
overthrow. 

Before  narrating  the  particulars  of  one  of  the 
most  humiliating  and  tragic  events  which  occurred 
in  the  early  history  of  this  country,  it  is  necessary 
to  state  that  a  civil  war,  with  all  its  attendant  bar- 
barities, had  been  prevailing  in  France  between  the 
Protestants  and  the  Roman  Catholics.  In  1563,  it 
was  determined  by  the  French  government  to  dis- 
miss all  magistrates  from  office  who  were  tainted 
with  the  heretical  opinions  of  the  Huguenots,  as 
the  French  Protestants  were  called,  and  to  tolerate 
no  religion  but  the  Catholic.  This  was  a  resolu- 
tion which,  as  the  Huguenots  were  numerous  and 
powerful,  could  not  be  executed  without  an  appeal 
to  the  sword.  Accordingly,  both  parties  immedi- 
ately betook  themselves  to  arms.  Pope  Pius  V., 
the  head  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  interested 
himself  in  the  war,  and  even  sent  an  army  from 
Italy  in  aid  of  the  French  Catholics,  to  whom  he 
gave  the  cruel  order,  as  they  left  him,  to  slay  every 
Huguenot  the}  should   take,    and    give  no   quarter 


25  PERMANENT    ANTIPATHY. 

The  Huguenots  evinced  a  similar  spirit,  and  also 
gave  no  quarter.  It  was  a  war  in  which  not  only 
were  the  natural  malevolent  passions  called  into 
violent  exercise,  but  sectarian  bigotry  and  religious 
frenzy  added  fuel  to  the  flames.  Each  party  re- 
garded themselves  as  fighting  against  the  enemies 
of  true  religion,  and  as  rendering  good  service  to 
the  church  in  putting  them  to  death. 

Although  in  the  course  of  the  next  year  hostil- 
ities ceased,  and  peace  was  professedly  established, 
yet  the  belligerent  parties  cherished  a  burning  ha- 
tred towards  each  other.  This  mutual  antipathy 
was  not  confined  to  the  French.  It  was  diffused 
wherever  these  parties  existed.  Huguenots  and 
Catholics  were  every  where  the  opponents  of  each 
other,  whether  they  belonged  to  the  same  or  to 
different  nations.  This  antipathy,  as  we  shall  pres- 
ently see,  crossed  the  Atlantic,  and  brought  forth 
its  dreadful  fruits  of  blood  and  death  upon  the 
shores  of  the  new  world. 


CHAPTEE    II. 

Opinions  respecting  Florida.  —  Departure  of  Laudonniere.  —  Con 
duct    of    the    Indians.  —  Dissensions. — Piracy.  —  Fort    Caro- 
lina. —  Welcome  Visitors.  —  Kindness  of  Sir  John  Hawkins.  — 
Spanish  Claims.  —  Huguenots.  —  Religious  Antipathies.  —  The 
Pirate  Mslendez. —  His  Agreement  with  the  King.  —  Sets  out 

in  Pursuit  of  the  French.  —  Storm  at  Sea Melendez  separates 

from  his  Company.  —  Discovers  a  safe  Harbor.  —  Its  Name, 
and  the  Reason  of  it. —  Melendez  finds  the  French  Fleet.— 
His  cruel  Message.  —  The  French  flee. —  Are  pursued  unsuc- 
cessfully. —  The  oldest  Town  in  the  United  States. 

The  civil  war  in  France  being  arrested,  the  Ad- 
miral de  Coligny  resumed  his  efforts  to  establish  a 
colony  in  some  part  of  Florida.  In  addition  to 
granting  his  royal  permission,  the  French  king  fur- 
nished Coligny  three  vessels  for  his  service,  which 
were  placed  under  the  command  of  Laudonniere,  a 
man  of  intelligence  and  force  of  character,  and  who 
had  accompanied  Ribault  in  his  previous  voyage.* 
As  exaggerated  statements  had  been  made  respect- 
ing the  salubrious  character  of  the  climate  of  Flor- 
ida, as  it  was  known  to  abound  luxuriantly  in  various 
kinds  of  vegetable  productions,  and  as  it  was  be- 
lieved to  be  rich  in  the  precious  ores,  it  was  no  wise 
difficult   to    obtain   emigrants   in    abundance.     Men 

*  Bancroft. 


30  laudonniere's  expedition. 

panting  for  adventures,  or  thirsting  for  gold,  or  de- 
siring a  place  of  retreat  from  the  liability  of  religious 
persecution,  cheerfully  presented  themselves  as  ready 
to  engage  in  the  promising  enterprise.  As  Coligny 
desired  to  obtain  accurate  information  respecting 
the  various  objects  which  might  be  discovered  in  the 
far-off  land,  he  engaged  James  Le  Moyne,  a  skilful 
artist,  to  execute  colored  pictures  of  those  which 
might  be  most  deserving  of  attention. 

The  trio  of  ships  containing  the  adventurers,  with 
their  stores,  left  France  April  22,  1564,  and  on  the 
22d  of  June  they  arrived  on  the  coast  of  Florida, 
having  been  sixty  days  upon  the  voyage.  The  com- 
modious harbor  of  Port  Royal  being  surrounded 
with  too  many  painful  associations  to  be  attractive, 
Laudonniere  passed  by  it  in  search  of  a  more  pleas- 
ing location  for  a  settlement.  After  selecting  the 
[tanks  of  the  River  of  May,  he  landed,  and,  in  com- 
pany with  his  Huguenot  brethren,  commenced,  with 
devotional  services,  the  founding  of  a  new  colony 
The  Indians,  instead  of  opposing  their  landing,  re 
ceived  them  with  the  cordiality  of  friends,  and  ex- 
tended to  them  their  unrefined  but  genuine  hospi- 
tality. Notwithstanding  the  propitious  circumstances 
under  which  the  colony  was  commenced,  it  was  not 
long  before  a  dark  cloud  overshadowed  its  prospects. 
Although  amongst  the  emigrants  were  men  of  good 
principles,  yet   there   were    others  entirely  destitute 


PIRATICAL    EXPEDITION.  31 

of  integrity,  who  were  anxious  only  for  the  rapid 
increase  of  wealth,  irrespective  of  the  means  by 
which  it  might  be  obtained.  A  mutinous  disposition 
was  manifested,  which  the  commandant  found  it 
difficult  to  quell.  Great  wastefulness  was  practised 
in  the  use  of  food,  by  which  their  stores  were  soon 
exhausted,  and  want  began  to  stare  them  in  the  face. 
A  party  among  them,  composed  of  the  most  insub- 
ordinate and  reckless  class,  took  advantage  of  this 
circumstance  to  oblige  Laudonniere  to  give  them  a 
written  permit  to  embark  for  New  Spain  ;  and  then, 
seizing  two  vessels,  they  set  sail  upon  a  piratical 
expedition  against  the  commerce  of  the  Spaniards. 
Out  upon  the  wide  ocean  they  fell  in  with  two  or 
three  vessels.  So  soon  as  they  discerned  their  flag, 
and  discovered  that  they  were  Spanish,  they  bore 
down  upon  them  like  an  eagle  darting  upon  its  prey, 
and  succeeded  in  making  them  prizes.  They  were 
not  permitted,  however,  to  rejoice  in  their  success  any 
great  length  of  time.  It  was  their  experience,  as  it 
has  been  that  of  many  others,  that  the  triumphing 
of  the  wicked  is  short.  They  were  themselves  cap- 
tured, when  some  of  them  were  held  as  prisoners, 
others  reduced  to  slavery,  and  a  few,  who  made  a 
successful  attempt  to  escape,  and  returned  to  the 
colony,  were  there  seized  by  Laudonniere,  and  sen- 
tenced to  be  executed. 

On  the  banks  of  the  May  the  colonists  erected  a 


32  DISAPPOINTMENTS 

fort,  to  which  they  also  gave  the  name  of  Fort  Car« 
olina.  For  a  number  of  weeks  they  had  been  ex- 
pecting supplies  from  their  native  land.  Every  little 
cloud  that  appeared  upon  the  distant  marine  horizon 
was  intensely  watched,  with  the  hope  that  it  would 
enlarge  into  the  beautiful  form  and  proportions  of  a 
friendly  ship  ladened  with  the  necessary  stores.  But 
these  expectations  were  doomed  to  be  successively 
blasted,  as  these  deceptive  clouds  vanished  into  thin 
air,  or  enlarged  and  gathered  themselves  into  moun- 
tainous heaps.  After  enduring  this  painful  suspense 
for  several  months,  to  such  extremities  were  they 
reduced  for  the  want  of  food,  that  they  concluded  to 
abandon  the  settlement.  This  determination  was 
strengthened  by  the  unfavorable  change  which  had 
taken  place  in  the  disposition  of  the  Indians,  whose 
original  friendship  had  been  converted  into  decided 
hostility  by  the  unjust  severities  of  the  colonists. 
As  they  had  no  vessels  in  which  it  was  suitable  for 
them  to  risk  a  voyage  across  the  ocean,  their  plan 
was  to  erect  some  small  brigantines  for  that  purpose, 
when,  most  opportunely,  the  fleet  of  Sir  John  Haw- 
kins arrived  from  the  West  Indies,  where  he  had 
recently  sold,  at  an  immense  profit,  a  cargo  of  human 
beings,  whom  he  had  torn  from  their  native  homes 
in  Africa.  It  is  an  humiliating  fact,  that  among  the 
first  marine  employments  upon  the  coast  of  America 
we  find  piracy  and  the  slave  trade  ! 


CRUELTY    AND    BENEVOLENCE.  33 

Man  is  a  bundle  of  inconsistencies.  The  most 
opposite  traits  of  character  are  sometimes  exhibited 
by  the  same  individual,  as  was  the  case  with  this 
English  slave  trader.  What  could  have  been  more 
cruel  than  the  employment  of  Sir  John  Hawkins 
upon  the  coast  of  Africa,  when  tearing  husbands 
from  their  wives,  and  parents  from  their  children, 
with  all  the  horrid  accompaniments,  to  transport 
them  amid  the  darkness,  the  stench,  and  the  noisome- 
ness  of  the  "  middle  passage,"  across  the  wide  At- 
lantic, in  order  to  reduce  them  to  hopeless  bondage 
in  a  foreign  land  !  And  yet,  when  Hawkins  found 
the  colony  of  Laudonniere,  on  the  coast  of  Florida, 
in  a  suffering  condition,  his  compassion  was  excited ; 
he  supplied  them  liberally  with  provisions,  and  even 
furnished  them  with  a  vessel  from  his  own  fleet  to 
convey  them  back  to  France. 

After  the  preparations  were  completed,  and  the 
colony  was  on  the  eve  of  embarking,  another  fleet 
was  descried  entering  the  river  and  sailing  towards 
the  new  settlement,  which  entirely  changed  the  plans 
of  the  immigrants.  These  visitors  proved  to  be  the 
long-looked  for  reinforcements,  bringing  food,  seeds 
for  planting,  agricultural  implements,  and  a  variety 
of  domestic  animals  for  raising  stock.  They  were 
under  the  direction  of  Ribault,  who  had  come  to 
take  the  command  of  the  colony.  Sadness  now 
gave  place  to  joy.     The  idea  of  returning  home  was 


34  JOT  SUCCEEDS  SADNESS. 

abandoned,  and  the  whole  company  went  to  work 
as  if  the  point  was  settled  that  that  was  to  be  their 
permanent  residence. 

It  must  be  remembered  than  more  than  fifty  years 
prior  to  this  settlement  of  the  French,  this  country 
was  discovered  by  Ponce  de  Leon,  a  Spaniard, 
in  his  search  after  the  fabled  fountain  of  perpetual 
youth,  from  whom  it  received  the  name  of  Florida, 
and  that  upon  his  discovery  was  based  the  Spanish 
claim  to  the  whole  of  North  America.  Fernando 
de  Soto,  a  few  years  later,  (1539,)  also  visited  the 
country,  and  took  formal  possession  of  it  in  the  name 
of  the  Spanish  Emperor  Charles  V.  De  Soto  ex- 
plored a  large  portion  of  the  territory,  and  during 
his  romantic  wanderings,  buried  a  large  number  of 
the  bravest  cavaliers  of  Spain.  These  claims  the 
Spanish  never  relinquished,  and,  consequently,  the 
French  settlement  at  Fort  Carolina  was  regarded  as 
an  encroachment  upon  the  Spanish  dominions.  This 
of  itself  might  have  been  deemed  by  them  a  suffi- 
cient justification  of  any  attempt  to  drive  the  French 
intruders  from  the  soil.  In  addition  to  this  political 
reason  was  another  of  a  religious  character.  These 
Huguenots,  as  we  have  seen,  were  Protestants,  but 
the  Spanish  court,  and  the  nation  generally,  were  Ro- 
man Catholics.  Thus  in  their  religious  views  and  feel- 
ings they  were  the  antagonists  of  each  other;  and  any 
measures,  however  severe,  for  the  exclusion  of  these 


PEDRO    MELENDEZ.  35 

Huguenot  Calvinists  from  the  Spanish  domain  would 
be  regarded  by  the  bigoted  Spaniards  as  acceptable 
service  to  Holy  Mother  Church.  These  facts  will 
enable  the  reader  to  appreciate  the  tragic  events 
which  we  are  now  about  to  relate. 

At  the  court  of  Spain  there  figured  a  naval  officer 
who  had  spent  many  eventful  years  in  his  profes- 
sional pursuits,  and  who,  by  a  naturally  fierce  dis- 
position and  his  familiarity  with  scenes  of  carnage 
and  of  death,  was  well  fitted  to  engage  in  any  work 
of  sanguinary  cruelty.  His  name  was  Pedro  Me- 
Iendez.  With  this  pirate  hunter,  who  himself  had 
been  convicted  of  crime,  Philip  II.  of  Spain  entered 
into  an  agreement  to  secure  the  conquest  of  Florida. 
As  the  conditions  of  that  agreement  shed  light  upon 
those  early  periods  of  our  history,  it  is  deemed  de- 
sirable here  to  insert  them. 

Melendez  engaged  to  invade  the  country  with  not 
less  than  five  hundred  men  ;  to  subdue  it  within 
three  years  ;  to  explore  its  currents,  channels,  coasts, 
and  harbors  ;  to  form  a  settlement  c  f  at  least  five 
hundred  persons,  one  fifth  of  whom  should  be  mar- 
ried men,  and  sixteen  Roman  Catholic  ecclesiastics, 
of  whom  four  were  to  be  Jesuits ;  and  all  this  at  his 
own  expense.  He  was  also  to  introduce  into  the 
colony  a  variety  of  domestic  animals ;  and,  last  of 
all,  as  sugar  was  expected  to  become  one  of  the 
staple  productions  of  the  country,  he  stipulated  to 


36       AGREEMENT  BETWEEN  THE   KING  AND   PEDRO. 

import    five    hundred    negro    slaves    into    the    new 
country! 

The  king,  on  his  part,  appointed  Melendez  gov- 
ernor of  Florida  for  life,  with  the  privilege  of  nomi- 
nating his  successor ;  allowed  him  an  annual  salary 
from  the  colonial  revenues ;  assigned  to  him  a  terri 
tory  of  seventy-five  square  miles  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  settlement,  and  a  fifteenth  of  all  the  perqui- 
sites belonging  to  the  king. 

The  departure  of  Melendez  from  Spain  was  has- 
tened by  the  intelligence  that  the  French  Protestants 
had  already  established  themselves  in  the  Spanish 
dominions  in  the  new  world.  National  antipathy 
and  religious  fanaticism,  combined,  created  a  high 
degree  of  sympathy  among  the  people,  in  the  expe- 
dition which  was  in  progress ;  the  result  of  which 
was,  that  above  twenty-five  hundred  persons,  embra- 
cing sailors,  soldiers,  ecclesiastics,  farmers,  and  me- 
chanics, among  whom  were  married  men  and  their 
families,  engaged  to  go  ;  all  of  whom  were  to  be 
sent  at  the  expense  of  the  notorious  Melendez.  In 
addition  to  these  were  three  hundred  soldiers,  who 
accompanied  the  expedition  at  the  expense  of  the 
government. 

All  things  being  ready,  the  crusaders  set  sail  in 
the  month  of  July,  1565 ;  but  they  had  not  been  at 
sea  many  days  before  they  were  overtaken  by  a  vio- 
lent tempest,  which  scattered   the   fleet.      Melendez 


THE    SPANIARDS    DISCOVER    THE    FRENCH.         37 

kept  on  his  voyage,  and  arrived  at  St.  John,  in  the 
Island  of  Porto  Rico,  with  only  one  third  of  his  fleet. 
Without  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  the  rest  of  his 
company,  he  set  sail  for  Florida,  and  on  the  28th 
of  August,  being  the  anniversary  of  St.  Augus- 
tine, he  came  in  sight  of  the  coast.  Not  knowing 
where  the  French,  of  whom  he  was  in  pursuit,  had 
planted  themselves,  he  sailed  along  the  coast,  keep- 
ing a  good  lookout  landward,  with  the  hope  of 
making  a  successful  descent  upon  them.  Whilst 
engaged  in  this  search,  he  discovered  a  river,  .and  a 
convenient,  safe  harbor,  to  which  he  gave  the  name 
of  St.  Augustine,  in  honor  of  the  saint  on  whose 
anniversary  he  came  upon  the  coast.  Having  ob- 
tained what  information  he  could  from  the  Indians 
relative  to  the  location  of  the  French,  he  left  St. 
Augustine,  and  continued  his  course  to  the  north, 
and  in  two  or  three  days  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
the  masts  of  the  French  vessels  piercing  the  distant 
horizon,  like  the  barren  tops  of  the  pine,  rising  above 
the  surface  of  the  water  from  some  sunken  island. 
This  was  the  fleet  of  Ribault,  which  had  recently 
arrived  with  reinforcements  to  Fort  Carolina,  op 
the  May.  When  the  French  saw  the  approach  of 
these  strangers,  they  sent  to  them  to  inquire  who 
they  were  and  what  were  their  objects.  The  answer 
was  characteristic  of  the  ferocious  Spaniard.  He 
told  them  that  he  was  Melendez  of  Spain,  and  had 
4 


38  OLDEST    TOWN    IN    THE    UNITED   STATES. 

come  at  the  command  of  his  king  to  gibbet  and  be- 
head all  the  Protestants  that  he  found  in  Florida. 
"  The  Catholic,"  said  he,  "  I  will  spare,  but  every 
heretic  shall  die  !  "  This  reply  fell  upon  their  ears 
like  the  knell  of  death.  Taken  by  such  sudden  sur- 
prise, they  at  first  knew  not  what  measures  to  adopt. 
But  a  moment's  reflection  convinced  them  that  it 
would  be  foolish  temerity  to  engage  in  conflict  with 
them  ;  and  as  they  did  not  wish  to  be  taken  prisoners, 
nor  try  the  sensations  of  the  threatened  gibbet  or 
axe,  they  slipped  their  cables  and  run  out  to  sea. 
The  Spaniards  gave  chase ;  but  being  unsuccessful 
in  overtaking  them,  they  returned  to  their  newly- 
discovered  harbor  of  St.  Augustine,  which  they 
reached  September  7,  celebrated  by  the  Catholics 
as  the  birthday  of  Mary.  About  noon,  Melendez, 
with  a  company  of  his  followers,  went  on  shore,  took 
formal  possession  of  the  continent  in  the  name  of 
his  king,  Philip  II.  of  Spain,  and  then,  in  connection 
with  the  imposing  service  of  the  mass,  laid  the  foun- 
dation of  St.  Augustine.  This  is  the  oldest  town  in 
the  United  States,  it  having  been  established  more 
than  forty  years  before  any  other.  The  Pilgrim 
Fathers  did  not  land  upon  Plymouth  rock  till  the 
21st  of  December,  1620,  fifty-five  years  after  the 
founding  of  St.  Augustine. 


CHAPTEE    III. 

Ribault  returns.  —  Fears.  —  Divided  Counsels.  —  A  Great  Tem« 
pest.  —  Spaniards  attack  the  French.  —  Scenes  of  Carnage.  — 
Unnecessary  Cruelty.  —  Religious  Ceremonies.  —  Deceptive  Of- 
fers.—  Captives  murdered.  —  The  Catholics  spared.  —  Insult- 
ing Sentence. — Justification.  —  Royal  Indifference.  —  De  Gour- 
gues  seeks  Revenge. —  Attacks  the  Spaniards.  —  Is  successful.  — 
Retaliatory  Sentence.  —  The  French  relinquish  Florida. 

When  Ribault,  the  French  commander,  saw  that 
the  Spanish  fleet,  under  Pedro  Melendez,  had  re- 
linquished the  pursuit  of  him,  he  returned  to  his 
Huguenot  friends  at  Fort  Carolina,  whom  he  found 
in  a  state  of  considerable  agitation,  lest  the  unwel- 
come visits  of  the  Spaniards  might  be  renewed. 
They  were  disappointed,  perplexed,  and  provoked. 
They  had  fled  from  persecutors  in  their  own  coun- 
try, in  order  that  amid  the  solitudes  of  the  new 
world  they  might  enjoy  freedom  to  worship  God  ; 
and  before  they  had  become  fairly  settled  in  their 
expected  land  of  rest,  their  enemies  were  upon 
them,  thirsting,  like  so  many  bloodhounds,  for  their 
death.  Opinions  among  the  colonists  were  divided. 
Some  were  in  favor  of  strengthening  their  position, 
assuming  a  defensive  attitude,  and  quietly  waiting 
the  approach  of  the  enemy.  Others  thought  it  wiser 
policy  to  pursue  them  with  the  ships,  and  engage  in 


40  TREMENDOUS    STORM. 

conflict  with  them  upon  the  ocean.  This  was  the 
opinion  of  Ribault,  and  it  prevailed.  He  accord- 
ingly sailed  with  his  fleet,  and  thus  withdrew  from 
the  colony  the  protection  he  might  have  extended  to 
thers  if  he  had  remained.  He  had  not  been  gone 
long  before  the  heavens  were  shrouded  in  gloom  ; 
the  wind  blew  at  a  fearful  rate  ;  the  waves  rolled 
like  mountains ;  a  terrific  tempest  came  down  upon 
him,  scattering  his  fleet,  driving  them  to  the  south, 
and  sending  every  one  of  them  on  the  rock-bound 
shore  of  Florida,  a  fatal  wreck.  The  Spanish  fleet 
suffered  but  little. 

The  French  at  Fort  Carolina  were  expecting  the 
attack  of  tbe  Spaniards  from  the  sea.  Instead  of 
this,  Melendez  landed  his  troops,  and,  marching 
through  the  dense  forests  and  deceitful  everglades 
which  intervened  between  St.  Augustine  and  the 
French  settlement,  he  attacked  the  feeble  company 
from  an  unexpected  quarter,  and,  after  a  short 
engagement,  he  made  himself  master  of  their  po- 
sition. Now  followed  a  scene  of  carnage  in  perfect 
keeping  with  the  ferocious  disposition  of  the  suc- 
cessful Spaniard.  Not  satisfied  with  making  them 
prisoners,  he  gave  them  up  to  the  sword.  Our 
heart  sickens  at  the  description  of  the  horrid  scene. 
Not  only  the  soldiers,  but  the  aged,  the  sick,  help- 
less women  and  harmless  children,  were  butchered 
in    cold    blood       A    few    succeeded    in    concealing 


A    TERRIFIC    CONFLICT.  41 

themselves  in  the  surrounding  woods,  but  they  could 
not  long  remain  there ;  yet,  when  they  gave  them- 
selves up  to  their  conquerors,  they  were  massacred 
like  the  rest.  Not  satisfied  with  this,  the  Spaniards 
wreaked  their  inordinate  vengeance  upon  the  dead, 
by  mutilating  their  bodies  in  a  barbarous  manner. 
The  number  slain  in  this  fearful  struggle  was  about 
two  hundred. 

As  this  victory  was  achieved  on  the  festival  of 
St.  Matthew,  the  Spaniards  called  the  River  May 
the  St.  Mattheo.  Both  of  these  names,  however, 
have  given  place  to  the  St.  John's.  After  this 
dreadful  tragedy  was  over,  the  bloodstained  mur- 
derers, in  solemn  mockery,  engaged  in  religious 
services.  With  Romish  rites,  they  planted  a  cross 
upon  the  spot,  still  wet  with  the  blood  of  the  wor- 
shippers of  the  Crucified,  observed  the  idolatrous 
service  of  the  mass,  and  even  designated  a  place 
where  these  cruelties  had  been  enacted,  for  a 
church,  to  the  honor  of  Him  who,  both  by  example 
and  precept,  has  taught  us  to  pray  for  our  enemies, 
and  bless  those  who  despitefully  use  us. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  shipwrecked  men  of 
Ribault's  fleet  were  discovered.  Having,  by  their 
misfortunes,  lost  all  their  food  and  water,  and 
having  endured  great  suffering  and  fatigue,  they 
were  reduced  to  extreme  helplessness.  The  vic- 
torious Spaniard  invited  them  to  confide  in  bis 
4* 


42  MASSACRE    AT    ST.    AUGUSTINE. 

clemency.  It  was  the  tiger  offering  compassion  to 
the  helpless  Iamb,  for  whose  blood  it  was  thirsting. 
Yet  what  could  these  famishing  mariners  do  ? 
Being  without  ships,  they  could  not  escape;  being 
without  stores,  they  could  not  survive.  As  the 
proffered  mercy  of  their  enemies  afforded  them 
their  only  gleam  of  hope,  they  delivered  themselves 
into  their  hands.  No  sooner  did  Melendez  find 
himself  in  possession  of  these  hapless  mariners, 
than  he  bound  their  arms  behind  them,  and  obliged 
them,  in  that  condition,  to  march  to  St.  Augustine. 
As  these  manacled  captives  approached  the  fort 
which  Melendez  had  there  erected,  not  knowing 
the  fate  which  awaited  them,  a  fatal  signal  was 
given,  when  the  nefarious  Spaniards  pounced  upon 
their  defenceless  prisoners,  and  slew  them  without 
mercy,  their  agonizing  shrieks  being  drowned  by 
the  sound  of  trumpets  and  the  roll  of  drums.  A 
few  among  them,  who  were  Catholics,  were  spared, 
as  Melendez  had  said.  Some  mechanics,  also,  who 
were  qualified  to  render  useful  services  to  the 
Spaniards,  escaped  the  common  doom,  and  were 
reduced  to  slavery  among  them.  All  the  others 
were  ruthlessly  slain.  As  a  slight  extenuation  of 
his  cruelty,  Melendez  stated  that  he  killed  them 
"  not  as  Frenchmen,  but  as  Lutherans."  He  jus- 
tified it  not  on  national,  but  religious  grounds. 
The    whole    number    who    perished    in    these    two 


SUPPLICATION    TO    THE    KING.  43 

massacres    is    said    by    the    French    to    have    been 
nearly  a  thousand. 

The  widows  and  children  of  those  who  were 
slain  by  Melendez,  in  Florida,  addressed  a  pathetic 
supplication  to  the  French  throne.  But  as  the 
French  court  at  that  time  were  in  sympathy  with 
the  Roman  Catholic  church,  they  made  no  response 
to  the  appeal.  They  neither  granted  relief  to  the 
bereaved,  nor  avenged  the  death  of  the  slain.  It  is 
not  always  the  case  that  a  nation  harmonize  in 
their  views  and  feelings  with  the  court.  In  reli- 
gious opinions  and  in  measures  of  state  policy  they 
may  widely  differ.  In  the  present  case,  many  of 
the  French  people  were  deeply  grieved  for  those 
whose  friends  had  perished  through  the  cruelty  of 
Melendez.  Among  them  was  Dominic  de  Gourgues, 
who,  among  various  other  adventures  as  a  soldier, 
had  been  taken  prisoner  by  the  Spaniards.  Being- 
glad  of  any  pretence  to  engage  in  conflict  with  his 
old  enemies,  and  revenge  himself  for  injuries  re- 
ceived, Gourgues  offered  his  services  in  the  present 
case.  By  combining  his  own  pecuniary  resources 
with  the  contributions  furnished  him  by  his  friends, 
he  succeeded  in  fitting  out  three  ships,  with  a  com- 
plement of  a  hundred  and  fifty  men.  With  these 
he  set  sail  for  America,  in  search  of  those  who  had, 
with  such  savage  cruelty,  destroyed  the  French  set- 
tlement on  the  River  May.     He  directed  his  course 


44  .         uOURGUES  SEEKS  REVENGE. 

to  Fort  Carolina,  where  lie  found  the  Spaniards 
occupying  the  place  of  the  colony  which  they  had 
overthrown.  Two  forts  had  been  erected  near  the 
mouth  of  the  river.  These  he  attacked,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  taking  the  more  important  of  them,  with 
a  number  of  prisoners  ;  but  finding  it  difficult  to 
retain  his  position,  he  concluded  to  abandon  it. 
Previous  to  this,  it  became  necessary  to  decide  upon 
the  fate  of  the  prisoners.  Shall  they  be  liberated  1 
shall  they  be  carried  captives  to  France  ?  or  shall 
they  be  slain  ?  Gourgues  was  not  long  in  coming 
to  a  decision.  He  had  crossed  the  Atlantic  for  pur- 
poses of  revenge,  and  was  determined  not  to  be 
disappointed.  Besides,  as  the  Spaniards,  in  the 
previous  massacres,  had  insultingly  declared  that 
they  slew  their  enemies  "  not  as  Frenchmen,  but  as 
Lutherans,"  Gourgues  was  determined  to  retaliate 
in  the  same  manner.  The  prisoners  were  doomed 
to  death,  but  were  not  to  be  honored  with  mil- 
itary execution  by  powder  and  ball.  They  were 
sentenced  to  be  hung.  The  trees  furnished  a  con- 
venient gallows.  On  their  branches  the  wretched 
Spaniards  were  hanged,  with  the  inscription  of 
Gourgues  over  them  :  "  I  do  this,  not  as  to  Span- 
iards or  seamen,  but  as  to  robbers,  traitors,  and 
murderers."  He  then  hastily  embarked  on  board 
his  vessels,  and  returned  to  France.  The  French 
government  made  no  effort  to  follow  up  his  success, 


A    GREAT    LOSS.  45 

nor  replant  a  colony  in  Florida.  Indeed,  it  repu- 
diated all  pretension  to  the  country.  It  voluntarily 
relinquished  all  claim,  to  the  Spaniards,  who  eagerly 
seized  it  as  a  part  of  their  dominion,  to  which  they 
were  fairly  entitled  by  the  right  of  discovery.  If 
France  had  pursued  an  opposite  course,  — if  she 
had  settled  colonies  here,  and  strengthened  them  to 
sustain  their  position,  —  she  would  have  been  able  to 
divide  the  country  with  Spain,  and,  in  a  few  years, 
would  have  found  herself  in  possession  of  a  vast 
and  important  empire.  Her  government  failed  to 
appreciate  the  value  of  the  possessions  which  were 
within  reach.  In  consequence  of  their  want  of 
foresight,  their  imbecility,  and  their  unwillingness  to 
give  offence  to  a  neighboring  Catholic  power,  the 
French  allowed  the  vast  and  promising  domain  of 
Florida  to  slip  from  their  possession  into  the  handa 
of  Spain. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Catholic  Priests. —  Aug-ustin  Ruyz. — New  Mexico  explored.— 
Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert.  —  Visits  Newfoundland.  —  Supposed 
Discovery  of  Silver.  —  Secret  mining  Operations. —  A  Vessel 
lost. — Severe  Weather.  —  Sir  Humphrey  lost  in  the  Squir- 
rel.—  Sir  Walter  Raleigh.  —  His  Perseverance.  —  Wococon.— 
Interviews  with  the  Natives.  —  Granganimeo. —  His  Court  Et- 
iquette.—  Visit  of  Ceremony. —  His  Wife.  —  Their  Dresses.— 
The  Chief's  Monopoly. 

Amongst  the  earliest  explorers  of  this  country, 
none  exhibited  more  hardihood,  patience,  self-denial, 
and  perseverance  than  the  Catholic  ecclesiastics. 
Sometimes  in  company  with  bands  of  settlers,  and 
sometimes  alone,  they  penetrated  into  the  interior, 
and  exposed  themselves  to  the  diseases  of  climates 
to  which  they  were  unaccustomed  —  to  the  perils  of 
pathless  woods,  impassable  mountains,  wild  beasts, 
and  savage  men. 

Notwithstanding  our  aversion  to  the  dogmas,  the 
superstition,  and  the  persecuting  bigotry  of  the 
Catholic  church,  we  are  not  disposed  to  withhold 
our  meed  of  praise  from  those  of  her  priests,  who, 
believing  that  the  uncivilized  inhabitants  of  this 
newly-discovered  world  were  hastening  on  to  the 
regions  of  eternal  night,  cherished  a  sincere  desire 
to  instruct  them  in  the  principles  of  what  they 
believed  to  be  the  true  religion,  and  thus  to  save 


AUGUSTIN    RUYZ.  47 

their  souls  from  death.  Their  examples  of  zeal, 
patience,  and  self-sacrifice  are  worthy  of  the  im- 
itation of  those  who  arrogate  to  themselves  a  better 
faith. 

In  1580,  about  sixteen  years  after  the  settlement 
of  St.  Augustine,  a  Franciscan  friar  by  the  name  of 
Augustin  Ruyz,  having  caught  the  same  missionary 
epirit  by  which  other  Spanish  ecclesiastics  were  at 
that  time  moved,  formed  the  bold  design  of  pen- 
etrating far  into  the  interior  of  the  American  con- 
tinent, that  he  might  teach  the  benighted  Indiana 
the  way  of  life.  Leaving  Santa  Barbara,  in  Mex- 
ico, he,  in  company  with  two  or  three  others, 
plunged  into  the  unexplored  regions  of  the  north, 
until  he  reached  the  Rio  Grande  River,  which  he 
followed  to  its  upper  branches.  The  next  year, 
Antonio  de  Espejio  followed  him.  The  explorations 
were  finished.  The  country  received  the  name  of 
New  Mexico ;  and  there,  in  the  midst  of  a  moun- 
tainous region,  near  one  of  the  branches  of  the 
Rio  Grande,  was  founded  Santa  Fe,  the  second 
town  in  the   United   States. 

Although  the  continent  of  North  America  had 
been  discovered  by  the  English  many  years  before 
it  was  visited  by  the  Spaniards  or  the  French,  (the 
Cabots  having  seen  it  in  1497,)  yet  no  colonies  had 
been  formed,  nor  any  vigorous  measures  adopted  by 
the  English  government  to  enter  upon   ts  possession 


48  ENGLISH    GRANTS. 

It  was  not  until  1578  that  the  English  court  were 
aroused  to  the  importance  of  effort  for  securing 
some  permanent  benefit  from  their  splendid  dis- 
covery. At  this  time,  letters  patent  were  granted 
to  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  conferring  upon  him  very 
liberal  privileges,  in  case  he  established  a  cclony 
within  six  years.  After  he  collected  a  company,  he 
met  with  perplexing  disappointments  and  provoking 
delays  before  he  could  put  to  sea.  After  setting 
sail,  he  unfortunately  met  with  several  disasters. 
He  first  fell  in  with  a  Spanish  fleet,  with  which  he 
had  an  unsuccessful  engagement.  He  was  next 
overtaken  by  a  violent  storm,  which  destroyed  one 
of  his  vessels,  so   that  he  was  compelled   to   return. 

Being  too  poor  to  fit  out  another  enterprise, 
Gilbert  was  obliged  to  content  himself,  for  several 
years,  by  making  grants  to  other  parties,  of  lands 
for  them  to  colonize.  These  grants,  however,  pro- 
duced no  permanent  results,  as  the  parties  receiving 
them  were  unable  to  establish  settlements. 

The  time  which  was  allotted  to  Gilbert,  by  his 
patent,  to  found  a  colony  in  the  new  world,  was 
rapidly  drawing  to  a  close,  without  any  thing  being 
accomplished.  He  was  determined  to  make  one 
effort  more  prior  to  its  complete  expiration.  With 
the  assistance  of  others,  he  fitted  out  three  ships, 
set  sail,  and  arrived  at  Newfoundland,  where,  in 
the    harbor    of  St.   John's,    he    found    nearly   forty 


SIR    HUMPHREY    GILBERT.  49 

vessels,  of  various  nations.  In  the  presence  of 
their  crews  he  took  formal  possession  of  that  large 
island  in  the  name  of  her  majesty,  Queen  Elizabeth 
of  England.  The  country  was  examined,  and  the 
explorers  thought  they  discovered  silver  ore.  They 
were  ordered  to  lock  the  secret  in  their  cwn  breasts. 
Not  being  willing  to  leave  all  these  priceless  treas- 
ures behind  them,  quantities  of  the  ore  were  con- 
veyed on  board  one  of  their  vessels,  but  in  so  secret 
a  manner  that  the  crews  of  the  other  vessels  in  the 
harbor  had  no  suspicion  of  what  was  in  progress. 
After  this,  Gilbert,  with  his  fleet,  coasted  south. 
His  mariners  proved  to  be  a  set  of  dissatisfied, 
thievish,  and  piratical  fellows,  disposed  to  molest 
and  rob  every  vessel  that  they  dared  to  attack.  It 
was  not  long  before  the  largest  of  the  fleet,  through 
the  inexcusable  neglect  of  those  on  board,  was 
wrecked,  with  the  loss  of  all  the  ore,  and  about  a 
hundred  men.  After  this  mournful  event,  Gilbert 
hastened  his  return  to  England  with  his  only  two 
remaining  vessels  —  the  Squirrel  and  the  Hind. 
He  was  in  the  former,  which  was  a  very  small 
frigate,  of  only  ten  tons,  and  unfit  to  navigate  tem- 
pestuous oceans.  On  their  return,  they  experienced 
severe  weather.  The  wind  blew  violently,  and  the 
waves  rolled  like  mountains  capped  with  snow. 
The  vessels  were  in  imminent  peril ;  yet  they  kept 
as  near  together  as  was  compatible  with  safety. 
5 


50  THE    SQUIRREL    FOUNDERED. 

At  one  time,  when  they  were  within  speaking  dis- 
tance, the  commander,  who  was  sitting  in  the  stern 
of  the  Squirrel,  called  out  to  those  in  the  Hind, 
"  We  are  as  near  to  heaven  by  sea  as  by  land." 
The  same  midnight,  the  Squirrel  was  ingulfed  in 
the  mighty  waters,  and  neither  vessel  nor  crew  was 
ever  heard  of  again. 

Thus  unsuccessful  was  the  termination  of  Sir 
Humphrey  Gilbert's  efforts  to  establish  colonies  in 
Ameriea. 

The  next  adventurer  who  appeared  upon  the 
stage,  and  attempted  to  try  his  fortunes  in  the  new 
world,  was  the  celebrated  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  a 
half  brother  to  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert.  He  had 
been  so  far  interested  in  the  enterprise  of  Sir 
Humphrey,  as  to  furnish  and  fit  out,  at  his  own 
expense,  the  largest  vessel  of  his  fleet ;  and  some 
say  that  Raleigh  entered  upon  the  expedition  him- 
self, and  commanded  his  own  ship  in  person.  In  a 
few  days,  however,  the  vessel  was  obliged  to  put 
back,  in  consequence,  as  was  pretended,  of  a  dan- 
gerous and  contagious  sickness  among  her  company. 
Sir  Walter  was  a  man  of  great  perseverance,  and 
was  not  to  be  disheartened  by  the  unfortunate  re- 
turn of  his  vessel,  nor  the  sad  fate  of  his  half 
brother.  Having  received  liberal  patents  from 
Queen  Elizabeth  of  England,  and  having  induced 
others  to  unite  with   him  in  the  enterprise,  Raleigh 


ISLAND    OF    WOCOCON.  51 

fitted  out  two  small  vessels,  which  he  placed  under 
the  command  of  Captains  Philip  Amidas  and  Arthur 
Barlow. 

On  the  27th  of  April,  1584,  these  two  vessels  left 
the  Thames,  in  England,  and  after  the  usual  cir- 
cuitous course  generally  pursued  in  those  days, 
touching  at  the  Canaries  and  the  West  Indies,  they 
arrived  on  the  2d  of  July  upon  the  coast  of  North 
Carolina,  then  called,  as  was  the  whole  country, 
Florida.  After  sailing  a  hundred  and  twenty  miles 
along  the  coast,  they  entered  an  inlet,  and  landed 
upon  the  Island  of  Wococon,  which  separates  Pam- 
lico Sound  from  the  Atlantic,  where  religious  ser- 
vices were  performed,  and  the  country  taken  pos- 
session of  in  the  name  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  This 
being  over,  they  entered  upon  an  examination  of 
the  place.  They  found  that  the  spot  where  they 
landed  was  low  and  sandy,  "  but  so  full  of  grapes 
that  the  very  surge  of  the  sea  sometimes  overflowed 
them  ;  of  which  they  found  such  plenty  in  all 
places,  both  on  the  sand,  the  greene  soyle,  and  hils, 
as  in  the  plaines  as  well  as  on  euery  little  shrub,  as 
also  climbing  towardes  the  tops  of  high  cedars,  that 
they  did  thinke  in  the  world  were  not  the  like 
abundance."  They  soon  discovered  that  what  they 
had  supposed  was  the  main  land  was  only  an  island, 
about  twenty  miles  long  and  six  broad.  Upon 
discharging  their  muskets,  such  an  immense  number 


52  AN    INDIAN    ADDRESS. 

of  snow-white  cranes  arose  from  their  concealment, 
that  the  noise  of  their  cries  was  "  as  if  an  army  of 
men  had  shouted  altogether."  They  found  that  the 
island  was  well  wooded  with  various  kinds  of  fra- 
grant and  useful  trees,  among  which  were  cypress, 
sassafras,  the  lentisk,  or  "  the  tree  that  bearelh 
mastic,  and  the  tree  that  beareth  the  rine  of 
blacke  sinamon."  They  remained  near  this  beau- 
tifully wooded  island  two  days,  without  seeing 
any  of  the  inhabitants  ;  but  on  the  third  day, 
a  canoe  glided  from  the  shore,  containing  three 
half-naked,  swarthy  savages,  who  landed  on  the 
island,  "  foure  harquebuz-shot  from  our  shippes," 
two  of  whom  remained  with  the  canoe,  as  if  to 
guard  it,  whilst  the  third  came  down  on  a  point  of 
land  nearer  to  the  vessels,  and  walked  to  and  fro, 
as  if  to  attract  attention.  Some  of  the  officers  of 
the  ships  immediately  put  off  for  the  shore,  as  they 
desired  to  open  communications  with  the  natives, 
and  obtain  all  the  information  in  their  power.  The 
Indian  saw  their  approach  towards  him,  but  without 
exhibiting  the  least  fear,  he  raised  his  voice  as  soon 
as  they  arrived  within  hearing  distance,  and  deliv- 
ered a  long  harangue,  not  one  word  of  which  could 
they  understand.  As  the  English  manifested  to- 
wards him  a  friendly  spirit,  he  did  not  retreat  from 
their  superior  numbers,  but  at  their  invitation  vol- 
untarily   accompanied    them    on    board    the    ships. 


CEREMONIAL    VISIT.  53 

After  exhibiting  to  him  all  parts  of  the  vesse  ,  they 
treated  him  to  wine  and  meat,  which  he  seemed 
greatly  to  relish.  They  also  gave  him  a  hat,  shirt, 
and  several  other  articles,  after  which  he  left  them 
and  returned  to  his  canoe.  It  seems  that  this  tawny 
son  of  the  desert  felt  grateful  for  the  kindness  he 
had  received,  and  was  desirous  of  giving  some  ex- 
pression to  his  feelings.  He  therefore  paddled  a 
short  distance  from  the  island,  and  commenced 
fishing.  In  the  space  of  half  an  hour,  he  caught 
as  many  as  his  canoe  would  hold,  and  then,  return- 
ing to  the  point  of  land  which  was  nearest  to  the 
vessels,  and  where  he  was  previously  seen  walking 
to  and  fro,  he  divided  his  fish  in  two  piles,  and 
then,  by  signs,  indicated  that  he  gave  them  to  the 
two  vessels,  and  departed. 

The  next  day,  the  English  were  honored  with 
visitors  of  great  distinction,  who  approached  them 
with  no  little  ceremony.  A  number  of  canoes 
were  seen  gliding  over  the  water,  filled  with  men, 
who  disembarked  upon  the  island,  placed  all  their 
canoes  together,  and  then  came  down  on  the  shore 
opposite  the  ships.  They  were  closely  observed  by 
those  on  board,  who  soon  discovered  that  one 
among  them  was  some  honored  personage  ;  for,  as 
he  walked  along,  they  noticed  that  he  was  followed 
by  forty  or  fifty  others  ;  and  when  he  arrived  at 
the  place  over  against  the  ships,  where  he  doubtless 
5* 


54  GRANGANMEO's    WELCOME. 

expected  to  have  an  interview  with  these  white 
strangers,  his  attendants  spread  a  long  mat  upon 
the  ground,  on  one  end  of  which  he  took  his  seat 
in  Indian  style,  and  on  the  other  end  four  others, 
who  were  persons  of  some  distinction,  seated  them- 
selves. The  rest  of  his  men  were  arranged  around 
him,  at  a  respectful  distance,  as  a  kind  of  body 
guard. 

Some  of  the  English  left  the  vessels  in  a  small 
boat,  and  approached  towards  them  with  weapons, 
but  without  exciting  any  fears.  When  they  arrived 
where  the  Indians  were,  he  who  appeared  to  be  the 
chief  among  them,  and  whose  name  was  Grangan- 
imeo,  invited  them  by  signs  to  take  a  seat  on  the 
mat  near  himself,  which  they  did  ;  "  and  being  set, 
hee  made  all  signes  of  ioy  and  welcome,  striking 
on  his  head  and  breast,  and  afterwards  on  ours,  to 
shew  we  were  all  one,  smiling  and  making  shewe 
the  best  he  could  of  all  loue  and  familiaritie.  After 
he  had  made  a  long  speed)  unto  vs,  wee  presented 
him  with  diuers  things,  which  hee  received  very  ioy- 
fully  and  thankefully.  None  of  the  company  durst 
speake  one  worde  all  the  time ;  only  the  foure 
which  were  at  the  other  ende,  spake  one  in  the 
others  eare  very  softly."  *  The  king,  whose  name 
was   Wingina,    was   not   present    at    this  interview 

*  Hakluy'.'s  Collection  of   Voyages. 


INDIAN    TASTES  55 

being  detained  at  home  in  consequence  of  wounds 
which  he  had  received  in  a  battle  with  the  king  of 
the  adjoining  country.  The  country  over  which 
Wingina  reigned  was  called  Wingandacoa.  In 
addition  to  the  donations  given  to  Granganhneo, 
they  gave  several  to  the  four  individuals  who  sat 
on  the  other  end  of  the  mat  ;  but  in  a  few  min- 
utes the  chief  arose,  took  all  these  additional  gifts, 
and  appropriated  them  to  himself,  informing  the 
English,  as  well  as  he  was  able,  that  all  things  must 
be  given  to  him,  as  the  other  Indians  were  merely 
his  followers  and  servants. 

A  few  days  after  this,  they  had  another  interview 
with  this  chief,  when  they  engaged  in  some  trading 
operations  for  skins.  Of  all  things  they  exhibited, 
that  with  which  he  was  the  most  pleased  was  a 
bright  tin  dish.  He  seized  it,  held  it  up,  examined 
it,  placed  it  over  his  heart,  as  if  it  were  a  breast- 
plate, and  afterwards  made  a  hole  through  the  edge 
of  it,  and  suspended  it  from  his  neck,  at  the  same 
time  signifying  that  it  would  ward  off  the  arrows 
of  his  enemies.  So  highly  did  he  prize  this,  that 
he  gave  for  it  twenty  skins,  worth  twenty  crowns. 
For  a  copper  kettle  he  gave  fifty  skins,  worth  fifty 
crowns.  They  gave  what  to  us  seems  a  high  price 
for  these  articles.  But  we  must  remember  that  to 
them  these  utensils  were  great  rarities,  and  might 
be  used  for  important  purposes.     They  also  offered 


56  THE    CHIEF    AND    HIS    WIFE. 

good  exchange  for  hatchets,  axes,  knives,  and  would 
have  given  any  thing  in  their  possession  for  swords; 
but  with  these  the  English  would  not  part. 

A  few  days  subsequent  to  this,  they  succeeded  in 
inducing  Granganimeo  to  go  on  board  the  ships, 
where  he  had  an  opportunity  of  inspecting  the 
wonders  of  these  strange  floating  houses.  He  was 
received  with  the  accustomed  hospitality  of  the 
English,  and  furnished  with  wine,  meat,  &c,  which 
he  relished  exceedingly,  and  with  which  he  became 
very  merry.  He  also  brought  his  wife,  daughter, 
and  two  or  three  children  on  board.  His  wife  was 
small,  good  looking,  but  very  bashful.  Over  her 
back  was  thrown  a  skin  dressed  with  the  fur  on. 
She  wore  it  with  the  fur  side  next  to  her  person. 
In  front  was  another  of  the  same  kind.  Her  fore- 
head was  ornamented  with  a  band  of  white  coral. 
From  her  ears  a  chain  of  pearls  as  large  as  peas 
was  suspended,  which  reached  half  way  to  the 
ground.  Other  women  of  the  tribe  had  copper 
ornaments  dangling  from  their  ears.  Some  of  the 
children  of  Granganimeo  and  some  of  the  chiefs 
had  five  or  six  in  each  ear.  Upon  his  own  head 
he  wore  a  broad  plate  of  yellow  metal  ;  but 
whether  it  was  gold  or  copper,  the  English  could 
not  tell,  as  it  was  unpolished,  and  he  would  not 
remove  it  from  his  head  for  their  examination.  It 
was    adjusted    in    such    a   manner    upon    his    head, 


INDIAN    LTIQUETTE.  5? 

that  by  "  feeling  it,  it  would  bow  very  easily."  His 
dress  was  of  skins,  and  worn  very  much  in  the 
same  manner  as  his  wife's.  The  women  wore  their 
hair  long  on  both  sides,  and  the  men  but  on  one. 
It  is  generally  supposed  that  the  hair  of  the  Arner- 
icar  Indians  is  uniformly  black  ;  but  in  the  account 
of  this  visit  by  one  of  the  party,  it  is  stated  of 
them,  "  They  are  of  a  color  yellowish,  and  their 
haire  black,  for  the  most  part ;  and  yet  we  saw 
children  that  had  very  fine  aburne  and  chesnut- 
colored  haire." 

After  this,  large  numbers  of  the  natives  came 
from  all  parts  of  the  surrounding  country,  bringing 
with  them  leather,  coral,  and  dye-stuffs,  for  pur- 
poses of  trade. "  Yet  such  was  the  peculiar  etiquette 
observed  among  them,  that  when  Granganimeo  was 
present,  he  monopolized  the  whole  trade  himself. 
None  of  his  men  were  allowed  to  barter  in  his 
presence  "except  such  as  wear  red  pieces  of  ccpper 
on  their  heads,  like  himself;  for  that  is  the  differ- 
ence between  the  noblemen  and  governors  of  coun- 
tries, and  the  meaner  sort." 


CHAPTER     V. 

Indian  Prudence.  —  Method  of  making  Canoes.  —  Character  of 
Granganimeo.  —  Visit  to  Roanoke.  —  Indian  Hospitality.  —  Fe* 
male  Kindness.  —  Character  and  Habits  of  the  Natives.  —  Eng- 
lish Timidity.  —  Gratitude. —  Shipwrecked  white  Men.  —  Their 
fatal  Adventure. —  Wonder  of  the  Natives. — Their  Weapons 
and  Modes  of  Warfare.  —  The  Secotanites.  —  A  great  Feast.  — 
A  dreadful  Slaughter.  —  The  English  Captain's  Return  Home. — 
They  take  with  them  two  Indians. 

It  was  usual  for  Granganimeo,  whenever  he  visited 
the  English,  to  kindle  as  many  fires  on  the  shore,  at 
a  good  distance  from  the  vessels,  as  equalled  the 
number  of  canoes  with  which  he  intended  to  make 
his  approach,  so  that  those  on  board  might  know  in 
what  strength  he  was  about  to  visit  them.  These 
canoes  "  are  made  of  one  tree,  either  of  pine  or 
pitch  trees ;  a  wood  not  commonly  known  to  our 
people,  nor  found  growing  in  England."  So  says  the 
account.  "  They  have  no  edge  tools  to  make  them 
withal :  if  they  have  any,  they  are  very  few,  and 
those,  it  seems,  they  had  twenty  years  since,  which 
was  out  of  a  wreck  which  happened  upon  their 
coast,  of  some  Christian  ship  being  beaten  that  way 
by  some  storm  and  outrageous  weather,  whereof 
none  of  the  people  were  saved,  but  only  the  ship, 
or  some  part  of  her  being  cast  upon  the  sand,  out 


CANOE    MAKING. 


59 


of  whose  sides  they  drew  the  nails  and  the  spikes, 
and  with  those  they  made  their  best  instruments. 
The  manner  of  making  their  boats  is  this :  They 
burn  down  some  great  tree,  or  take  such  as  are 
windfallen,  and  putting  gum  and  rosin  upon  one 
side  thereof,  they  set  fire  into  it,  and  when  it  hath 
burnt   it  hollow,  they   cut   out   the   coal  with   their 


Making  a  Canoe. 

shells ;  and  ever  where  they  would  burn  it  deeper  or 
wider,  they  lay  on  gums,  which  burn  away  the  tim 
her  ;  and  by  this  means  they  fashion  very  fine  boats, 
and  such  as  will  transport  twenty  men.  Their  oars 
are  like  scoops,  and  many  times  they  set  witli  long 
joles,  as  the  depth  serveth." 


GO  VISIT    TO    KOANOKE. 

When  the  wife  of  Granganimec  visited  them, 
which  she  did  many  times,  she  was  accompanied  by 
forty  or  fifty  women  ;  all  of  whom,  with  two  or 
three  exceptions,  she  made  remain  on  the  shore 
whilst  she  went  on  board  the  vessel. 

Granganimeo  was  a  fine  specimen  of  a  chief. 
He  was  faithful  to  his  promises  ;  for  many  times  the 
English  let  him  have  articles  of  merchandise  on 
credit  to  take  away,  but  always,  when  the  day  on 
which  he  promised  to  pay  for  them  arrived,  he  was 
on  hand,  ready  to  keep  his  word.  Every  day  he 
sent  them  a  brace  of  fat  bucks,  conies,  hares,  and 
fish.  He  also  furnished  them  with  various  kinds  of 
fruits,  such  as  melons,  cucumbers,  gourds,  walnuts, 
peas,  and  different  kinds  of  roots,  which  were  very 
palatable  to  the  taste.  The  soil  was  extremely  fer- 
tile. Peas  which  the  English  planted  were,  in  ten 
days,  fourteen  inches  high.  Beans  of  various  col- 
ors, with  wheat,  oats,  and  corn,  abounded  among 
them. 

After  the  Indians  had  been  aboard  the  vessels  a 
number  of  times,  it  was  considered  desirable  to  re- 
turn their  visits.  Accordingly,  the  captain  of  one 
of  the  vessels  and  seven  of  the  men  went  up  a  river, 
which  the  Indians  called  Occam,  and  which  is  be- 
lieved to  be  Pamlico  Sound,  until  they  reached  an 
island,  then  as  now  called  Roanoke.  On  the  north 
end  of  this  island  they  found  a  village  of  nine  houses, 


INDIAN    HOSPITALITY.  61 

Duilt  of  cedar,  and  fortified  with  a  stockade  of  trees, 
as  a  protection  against  enemies.  The  entrance  to 
it  was  made  like  a  turnpike,  very  artificially.  As 
the  English  approached  it,  the  wife  of  Granganimeo, 
the  king's  brother,  came  running  out  to  meet  them 
in  the  most  cheerful  and  friendly  manner.  Her 
husband  was  then  absent.  The  account  of  this  visit, 
as  given  by  the  parties,  is  so  interesting  that  wo 
shall  use  their  own  language  in  describing  it.  "  Some 
of  her  people  she  commanded  to  draw  our  boat  on 
the  shore  for  the  beating  of  the  billow ;  others  she 
appointed  to  carry  us  on  their  backs  to  the  dry 
ground,  and  others  to  bring  our  oars  into  the  house 
for  fear  of  stealing.  When  we  were  come  into  the 
utter  room,  having  five  rooms  in  her  house,  she 
caused  us  to  sit  down  by  a  great  fire,  and  after  took 
off  our  clothes,  and  washed  them  and  dried  them 
again.  Some  of  the  women  plucked  off  our  stock- 
ings, and  washed  them  ;  some  washed  our  feet  in 
warm  water;  and  she  herself  took  great  pains  to  see 
all  things  ordered  in  the  best  manner  she  could, 
making  great  haste  to  dress  some  meat  for  us  to  eat. 
"After  we  had  thus  dried  ourselves,  she  brought 
us  into  the  inner  room,  where  she  set  on  the  board 
standing  along  the  house  some  wheat-like  furrnentie, 
sodden  venison,  and  roasted,  fish  sodden,  boiled  and 
roasted  ;  melons,  raw  and  sodden,  roots  of  divers 
kinds,  and  divers  fruits.  Their  drink  is  commonly 
6 


62  INDIAN    CHARACTER. 

water,  but  while  the  grape  lasteth  they  drink  wine, 
and  for  want  of  casks  to  keep  it,  all  the  year  after 
they  drink  water,  but  it  is  sodden  with  ginger  in  it, 
and  black  cinnamon,  and  sometimes  sassafras  and 
divers  others  wholesome  and  medicinalle  herbs  and 
trees.  We  were  entertained  with  all  love  and  kind- 
ness, and  with  as  much  bounty,  after  their  manner, 
as  they  could  possibly  devise.  We  found  the  people 
most  gentle,  loving,  and  faithful,  void  of  all  guile 
and  treason,  and  such  as  live  after  the  manner  of 
the  golden  age.  The  people  only  care  how  to  de- 
fend themselves  from  the  cold  in  their  short  winter, 
and  to  feed  themselves  with  such  meat  as  the  soil 
afFordeth.  Their  meat  is  very  well  sodden,  and  they 
make  broth  very  sweet  and  savory.  Their  vessels 
are  earthen  pots,  very  large,  white,  and  sweet  ;  their 
dishes  are  wooden  platters  of  sweet  timber.  Within 
the  place  where  they  feed  was  their  lodging,  and 
within  that  their  idol,  which  they  worship,  of  whom 
They  speak  incredible  things.  While  we  were  at 
meat  there  came  in  at  the  gates  two  or  three  men 
with  their  bows  and  arrows  from  hunting,  whom 
when  we  espied,  we  began  to  look  one  towards 
another,  and  offered  to  reach  our  weapons  ;  but  as 
soon  as  she  espied  our  mistrust,  she  was  very  much 
moved,  and  caused  some  of  her  men  to  run  out  and 
take  away  their  bows  and  arrows  and  break  them, 
and  withal  beat  the  poor   fellows   out   of  the  gute 


ENGLISH    PRUDENCE.  63 

again.  When  we  departed  in  the  evening,  and  would 
not  tarry  all  night,  she  was  very  sorry,  and  gave  us 
into  our  boat  our  supper  half  dressed,  pots  and  all, 
and  brought  us  to  our  boat  side,  in  which  we  lay 
all  night,  removing  the  same  a  pretty  distance  from 
the  shore.  She,  perceiving  our  jealousy,  was  much 
grieved,  and  sent  divers  men  and  thirty  women  to 
sit  all  night  on  the  bank  side  by  us,  and  sent  us  inti 
our  boats  five  mats  to  cover  us  from  the  rain,  using 
very  many  words  to  entreat  us  to  rest  in  their  houses  ; 
but  because  we  were  few,  and  if  we  had  miscarried, 
the  voyage  had  been  in  very  great  danger,  we  durst 
not  adventure  any  thing,  although  there  was  no  cause 
of  doubt ;  for  a  more  kind  and  loving  people  there 
cannot  be  found  in  the  world,  as  far  as  we  have 
hitherto  had  trial." 

This  Indian  squaw  had  herself,  as  we  have  seen, 
been  on  board  the  vessels  of  the  English,  where  both 
she  and  her  husband  had  been  treated  with  kindness. 
She  seems  to  have  been  impelled  by  a  sense  of  grat- 
itude to  reciprocate  their  kindness,  and  was  grieved 
that  her  visitors  did  not  have  as  much  confidence  in 
her  friendliness  as  she  and  her  distinguished  husband 
had  manifested  in  theirs.  Her  hospitality  seems  to 
have  been  munificent,  and  nothing  was  left  undone 
which  was  necessary  for  the  safety  or  the  comfort 
of  her  guests. 

On  this  visit  the  English  gained  some  vague  in- 


G4         A  HAREBRAINED  ADVENTURE. 

formation  respecting  other  white  persons  who  had 
visited  this  coast.  They  were  informed  that  four 
days'  journey  to  the  south-west  was  a  city  called 
Secotan,  and  that  twenty-six  years  before,  a  ship  was 
there  cast  away,  some  of  the  crew  of  which  were 
white,  and  were  successful  in  escaping  from  the 
wreck.  After  remaining  three  weeks  upon  an  unin- 
habited island,  they,  wit'  the  assistance  of  some  of 
the  inhabitants  of  Secotan  who  had  found  them  out, 
fastened  two  Indian  canoes  together,  erected  masts, 
took  off  their  shirts  and  converted  them  into  sails, 
and  then  boldly  put  out  to  sea.  It  was  a  hare- 
brained adventure,  and  none  but  men  on  the  verge 
of  desperation  would  have  engaged  in  it.  A  few 
days  after,  their  crazy  vessel  was  found  cast  ashore 
upon  another  island,  from  which  it  was  evident  that 
they  had  been  cast  away.  These  individuals  were 
seen  only  by  the  inhabitants  of  Secctan.  Yet  when 
they  saw  these  others,  the  account  states,  "  they 
wondered  marvellously  at  the  whiteness  of  our  skins, 
even  coveting  to  touch  our  breasts,  and  to  view  the 
same.  Besides,  they  had  our  ships  in  marvellous 
admiration,  and  all  tilings  else  were  so  strange  unto 
them,  as  it  appeared  that  none  of  them  had  ever  seen 
the  like.  When  we  discharged  any  piece,  were  it 
but  an  arquebus,  they  would  tremble  thereat  for  very 
fear,  and  for  the  strangeness  of  the  same ;  for  the 
weapons  which  themselves  use  are  bows  and  arrows. 


INDIAN   CUSTOMS.  65 

The  arrows  are  bits  of  small  canes,  headed  with  a 
sharp  shell,  or  tooth  of  a  fish,  sufficient  enough  to 
kill  a  naked  man.  Their  swords  be  of  wood  hard- 
ened ;  likewise  they  use  wooden  breastplates  for  their 
defence.  They  have  beside  a  kind  of  club,  in  the 
end  whereof  they  fasten  the  sharp  horns  of  a  stag 
or  other  beast.  When  they  go  to  wars,  they  carry 
about  with  them  their  idol,  of  whom  they  ask  coun- 
sel, as  the  Romans  were  wont  of  the  oracle  of  Apollo. 
They  sing  songs  as  they  march  towards  the  battle, 
instead  of  drums  and  trumpets;  their  wars  are  very 
cruel  and  bloody,  by  reason  whereof,  and  of  then* 
civil  dissensions,  which  have  happened  of  late  years 
among  them,  the  people  are  marvellously  wasted, 
and  in  some  places  the  country  left  desolate." 

Adjoining  the  Secotanites  was  a  tribe  of  Indians, 
the  name  of  whose  king  was  Piamacum,  between 
whom  and  the  people  of  Secotan  there  had  been 
violent  and  sanguinary  wars.  Although  peace  had 
been  arranged  between  them,  yet  there  were  acts  of 
perfidy  which  the  Secotanites  could  not  forget,  and 
which  they  were  anxious  to  avenge.  On  one  occa- 
sion, a  great  feast  was  appointed,  to  which  many  men 
and  women  of  the  other  tribe  were  invited,  and  when 
they  were  all  together,  indulging  in  promiscuous  mer- 
riment, and  worshipping  their  idol  without  the  least 
fear  of  being  betrayed,  the  chief  of  the  town  where 
the  feast  was  held  came  suddenly  upon  them  with  a 
6* 


6fi  FATAL    FEAST. 

band  of  his  deceitful  warriors,  and  slew  every  one  of 
the  men.  The  women  and  children  he  preserved, 
perhaps  to  reduce  them  to  bondage,  as  that  was 
commonly  the  way  in  which  they  disposed  of  their 
prisoners. 

After  Captains  Amidas  and  Barlow  had  made  all 
the  examination  and  obtained  all  the  information  in 
their  power,  they  sailed  for  England,  where  they 
arrived  about  the  middle  of  September.  They  took 
with  them  to  England  two  of  the  natives,  whose 
names  were  Wanchese  and  Manteo. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Glowing  Accounts  of  the  new  Countries.  —  Origin  of  the  Name 
Virginia. —  Sir  Walter  Raleigh's  Privileges.  —  Greenville's  Ex- 
pedition. —  Touch  at  Porto  Rico.  —  False  Promises.  —  Fiery 
Retaliation.  —  Banquets.  —  Bull  Hunt.  —  Bargaining.  —  Dan- 
gerous Sport.  —  Fine  Fishing.  —  A  Message  to  Wingina.  — 
Exploring  Expedition.  — The  stolen  Cup.  —  Severe  Revenge.  — 
Granganimeo's  last  Visit.  —  Greenville  returns.  —  Comparative 
Dates. 

When  Captains  Amidas  and  Barlow  returned  to 
England,  they  gave  such  glowing  and  exaggerated 
accounts  of  the  beauty  of  the  country,  the  fertility 
of  the  soil,  and  the  gentle  disposition  of  the  natives, 
as  greatly  pleased  the  English,  and  induced  Queen 
Elizabeth,  in  commemoration  of  her  own  unmarried 
state,  "  or  as  some  have  been  pleased  to  gloss  and 
interpret  it,  because  it  still  seemed  to  retain  the 
virgin  purity  and  plenty  of  the  first  creation,  and  the 
people  their  primitive  innocency  of  life  and  man- 
ners," to  call  it  Virginia. 

Soon  after  their  return,  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  was 
elected  to  Parliament,  and  received  also  the  honor 
of  knighthood.  His  patent  for  prosecuting  discov 
eries  in  foreign  lands  was  confirmed,  and  that  he 
might  have  an  enlarged  income  to  assist  in  defraying 
the  expenses  of  his  colonial  enterprises,  there  was 
granted  to  him  the  monopoly  of  trade  in  sweet  wines, 


68 


A    NEW    EXPEDITION. 


from  which  it  was  expected  he  would  receive  a  hand- 
some revenue. 

Encouraged  by  the  flattering  reports  of  his  re- 
turned officers,  Raleigh  lost  no  time  in  making  ar- 
rangements for  another  expedition.      This   beautiful 


Portrait  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh. 

paradise  which  had  been  discovered,  where,  from  the 
accounts  of  its  visitors,  it  seemed  as  though  earth 
and  sea,  atmosphere  and  sun,  its  inhabitants  and  its 
natural  productions,  had  all  combined  to  render  it 
the  most  delightful  residence  in  the  world,  was  to 
be  colonized  immediately. 


ARRIVAL    AT    PORTO    RICO.  69 

The  new  expedition  consisted  of  seven  vessels  and 
one  hundred  and  eight  colonists,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Sir  Richard  Greenville.  Upon  their  arrival 
on  the  shores  of  the  new  world,  the  colony  was  to 
be  governed  by  Mr.  Ralph  Lane.  Among  other 
distinguished  persons  who  went  out  with  this  com- 
pany was  a  skilful  artist,  by  the  name  of  With,  who 
had  been  employed  to  make  sketches  of  the  personal 
appearance  and  the  singular  customs  of  the  natives. 

On  the  9th  day  of  April,  1585,  the  expedition  set 
sail  from  Plymouth,  in  England.  On  the  12th  of 
May,  they  reached  the  Island  of  St.  John,  of  Porto 
Rico.*  They  here  spent  a  number  of  days  in  build- 
ing a  pinnace,  the  timber  for  which  they  had  to 
draw  three  miles.  The  island  belonged  to  the  Span- 
iards, who  were  not  on  friendly  terms  with  the  Eng- 
lish. A  number  of  them  made  their  appearance  on 
various  occasions,  but  did  not  dare  to  attack  these 
unwelcome  visitors.  On  the  23d  of  May,  they  fin 
ished  and  launched  their  pinnace.  The  Spaniards, 
in  an  interview  which  they  had  with  some  of  the 
English,  having  ascertained  that  they  did  not  intend 
to  remain  there,  but  were  merely  huilding  a  small 
vessel  with  which  they  would  soon  all  depart,  prom- 
ised to  furnish  them  with  supplies  of  food.  But 
after  waiting  some  time  and  not  receiving  the  prom- 

*  Greenville,  in  Hakluyt. 


70  RICH    PRIZES. 

ised  supplies,  the  English  were  indignant,  and  *o 
revenge  themselves  they  set  the  woods  on  fire,  uid 
also  the  fort  where  they  had  built  their  pinnace. 
This  did  no  good  ;  it  brought  no  victuals,  and  in- 
stead of  allaying  the  animosity  of  the  Spaniards,  it 
must  have  greatly  increased  it. 

Greenville  and  his  company  were  anxious  to  leave 
St.  Johns,  for  though  the  Spaniards  did  not  attack 
them,  there  was  another  enemy,  of  great  courage  and 
of  indomitable  perseverance,  whose  vigilance  was  ever 
awake,  and  whose  weapons  were  always  ready,  and 
from  whom  retreat  or  concealment  was  impossible. 
These  were  the  clouds  of  bloodthirsty  mosquitoes 
which  infested  the  island,  and  which  were  a  constant 
annoyance  to  the  English. 

They  left  St.  Johns  on  the  29th,  and  the  same 
night  they  fell  in  with  a  Spanish  frigate.  As  soon 
as  the  Spaniards  saw  the  English  fleet  bearing  down 
upon  them,  they  took  to  their  small  boats  and  fled, 
leaving  their  vessel  a  prey  to  the  enemy.  Early  the 
next  morning  they  made  a  prize  of  another  Spanish 
frigate,  with  rich  freight  and  various  Spaniards  of 
distinction  on  board.  These  latter  were  afterwards 
ransomed  at  high  rates.  On  the  30th  thev  arrived 
at  the  Island  of  Hispaniola,  where  they  were  re- 
ceived with  great  courtesy.  They  here  honored  the 
Spaniards  with  a  banquet,  who  reciprocated  it  with 
u  bull  hunt.      The  account  of  that  interview,  as  given 


COURTESIES    BETWEEN    ENEMIES.  71 

cn  the  journal  of  the  voyage,  is  as  follows :  "  The 
5th  of  June,  the  governor  of  Isabella,  (a  town  on 
the  north  side  of  Hispaniola,)  accompanied  with  a 
lustie  friar  and  twenty  other  Spaniards,  with  their 
servants  and  negroes,  came  down  to  the  seaside, 
where  our  ships  rode  at  anchor,  who  being  seen, 
our  general  manned  immediately  the  most  part  of 
his  boats  with  the  chief  men  of  our  fleet,  every  man 
appointed  and  furnished  in  the  best  sort.  At  the 
landing  of  our  general,  the  Spanish  governor  re- 
ceived him  very  courteously,  and  the  Spanish  gen- 
tlemen saluted  our  English  gentlemen,  and  their 
inferior  sort  did  also  salute  our  soldiers  and  seamen, 
liking  our  men  and  likewise  their  qualities,  although 
at  the  first  they  seemed  to  stand  in  fear  of  us,  and  of 
so  many  of  our  boats,  whereof  they  desired  that  all 
might  not  land  their  men  ;  yet  in  the  end  the  cour- 
tesies which  passed  on  both  sides  were  so  great  that 
all  fear  and  inistiust  on  the  Spaniards'  part  was 
abandoned. 

"  In  the  mean  time,  while  our  English  general  and 
the  Spanish  governor  discoursed  betwixt  them  of 
divers  matters,  as  of  the  state  of  the  country,  the 
multitude  of  the  towns  and  people,  and  the  com- 
modities of  the  island,  our  men  provided  two  ban- 
queting houses,  covered  with  green  boughs,  the  one 
for  the  gentlemen,  the  other  for  the  servants ;  and  a 
sumptuous  banquet  was  brought  in,  served  by  us  all 


4  A* 


SPANISH    BULL    HUNT. 


n  plate,  with  the  sound  of  trumpets  and  concert  of 
music,  wherewith  the  Spaniards  were  more  than 
delighted.  Which  banquet  being  ended,  the  Span- 
iards, in  recompence  of  our  courtesie,  caused  a  great 
herd  of  white  bulls  and  kine  to  be  brought  together 
from  the  mountains,  and  appointed  for  every  gentle- 


5UiE«-Jl«U» 


man  and  captain  that  would  ride,  a  horse  ready 
saddled,  and  then  singled  out  three  of  the  best  of 
them,  to  be  hunted  by  horsemen  after  their  manner, 
so  that  the  pastime  grew  very  pleasant  for  the  space 
of  three  hours,  wherein  all  three  of  the  beasts  were 
killed,  whereof  one  took  the  sea,  and  there  was  slain 


FRIENDLY    RELATIONS.  73 

with  a  musket.  After  this  sport,  many  rare  pres- 
ents and  gifts  were  given  and  bestowed  on  both 
parts  ;  and  the  next  day  we  played  the  merchants  in 
bargaining  with  them  by  way  of  truck  and  exchange 
of  divers  of  their  commodities,  as  horses,  mares,  kine, 
bulls,  goats,  swine,  sheep,  bull  hides,  sugar,  ginger, 
pearl,  tobacco,  and  such  like  commodities  of  the 
island." 

The  courtesy  of  the  Spanish  on  this  occasion  was, 
by  the  English,  attributed  to  fear  rather  than  to 
kindness. 

The  banquet,  bull  hunt,  and  bartering  having  ter- 
minated to  the  mutual  satisfaction  of  the  parties,  on 
June  7th  the  English  fleet  bade  farewell  to  their 
friendly  foes,  and  went  to  sea.  The  next  clay  they 
arrived  at  a  small  island,  which  they  had  been  in- 
formed was  a  place  of  great  resort  for  seals.  As 
the  general  desired  to  enjoy  the  sport  of  taking 
some,  the  fleet  came  to  anchor,  and  he,  with  a  num- 
ber of  others,  went  in  the  pinnace  in  pursuit  of  them. 
The  chase  like  to  have  had  a  fatal  termination  for 
the  whole  party,  as  the  pinnace  came  very  near 
being  wrecked.  But  by  divine  interposition  they 
finally  escaped,  and  reached  their  vessel  in  safety. 
On  the  29th  they  arrived  upon  the  coast  of  Florida, 
and  three  days  after  they  narrowly  escaped  wrecking 
on  a  point  which,  in  consequence  of  its  dangerous 
character,  was  called  Cape  Fear.  The  next  day 
7 


74  THEFT    AND    ITS    PUNISHMENT. 

thty  anchored  in  a  harbor,  and  in  one  tide  they 
caught  as  many  fish  as  would,  in  London  market, 
have  sold  for  a  hundred  dollars.  On  the  26th  they 
came  to  anchor  at  Wococon.  From  here  they  sent 
word  toWingina,  of  Roanoke,  of  their  arrival.  On 
the  6th  of  July,  Mr.  John  Arundel  was  sent  to  the 
main  land,  accompanied  by  Manteo,  one  of  the  sav- 
ages who  had  been  taken  to  England,  and  who  had 
now  returned  with  them.  He  proved  to  be  very 
useful  to  the  English  all  the  time  that  they  remained 
there.  On  the  same  day,  Captains  Aubrey  and  Bon- 
iten  were  sent  to  Croatan,  an  Indian  town,  where 
they  found  thirty  or  more  of  their  men,  who  had 
been  left  there  a  number  of  days  before.  On  the 
11th  of  July,  the  general,  accompanied  by  quite  a 
large  party  of  the  English,  set  out  on- an  exploring 
expedition,  with  the  tilt  boat,  the  pinnace,  and  two 
ship  boats  laden  with  a  stock  of  provisions  sufficient 
to  last  eight  days.  They  directed  their  course  towards 
the  main  land,  and  during  their  absence  they  discov- 
ered the  towns  of  Pomeiok,  Aquascogok,  Secotan,  and 
a  great  lake  called  Paquique.  At  Aquascogok  a  sil- 
ver cup  was  stolen  from  them  by  an  Indian,  which 
so  offended  the  English,  that,  in  revenue  for  the 
larceny,  they  burned  down  the  town  and  destroyed 
all  their  corn.  This  destruction  of  the  homes  and 
the  food  of  the  Indians,  for  so  trifling;  an  offence, 
many  of  whom  had  no   hand  in   it,  only  served  to 


Greenville's  returns  75 

exasperate  them,  and  to  convert  them  into  more  de- 
termined and  implacable  foes.  It  was  seed  from 
which  in  future  the  English  were  to  reap  bitter  fruit- 
On  the  18th  of  July  they  returned  from  their 
expedition  to  the  fleet,  which  was  still  riding*  at 
Wococon,  and  two  days  after  they  set  sail  for  Ha- 
torask,  where  they  arrived  on  the  27th.  On  the 
29th  they  received  their  last  visit  from  the  generous 
and  honorable  Granganimeo,  as,  shortly  after,  he 
died.  He  had  proved  himself  to  be  a  sincere  friend 
of  the  English.  On  the  25th  of  August,  General 
Greenville  set  sail  on  his  return  to  England,  leaving 
in  the  new  world  one  hundred  and  eight  persons  to 
found  a  colony.  This  was  in  1585,  and  as  the 
Pilgrims  did  not  land  in  Massachusetts  Bay  till  1629, 
this  first  attempt  of  the  English  at  colonizing  in 
Virginia  occurred  thirty-five  years  before  the  settle- 
ment of  Plymouth. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

• 

Explorations. —  Description  of  the  Country.  —  An  intelligent  Cap- 
tive. —  Pearls.  —  Menatonon.  —  Two  Companies.  —  Assigna- 
tion.—  A  marvellous  River.  —  Pemissapan's  Treachery.  —  Con- 
cealment of  the  Indians.  —  Critical  Situation.  —  The  Governor's 
Policy.  —  Firmness  of  the  Company.  —  Dog  Porridge.  —  Ru- 
mors of  Gold.  —  Mining  Operations.  —  Perseverance  of  the 
Company.  —  Lane's  interesting  Account.  —  Attack  by  the  In- 
dians.—  They  retreat  to  the  Woods.  —  The  perilous  Return. 

The  colony  which  Sir  Richard  Greenville  left  in 
the  country  to  undertake  the  laborious  and  respon- 
sible work  of  its  settlement,  was  placed  under  the 
government  of  Mr.  Ralph  Lane,  wlio  had  accom- 
panied them  from  England  for  that  purpose. 

After  the  departure  of  Greenville,  arrangements 
were  made  by  the  colonists  to  enter  upon  various 
exploring  expeditions,  in  order  to  ascertain  the 
geography  and  nature  of  the  country,  in  respect  to 
its  soil  and  its  mineral,  vegetable,  and  animal  pro- 
ductions; and,  also,  .to  form  an  acquaintance  and 
establish  friendly,  relations  with  the  natives.  Not 
much,  however,  was  accomplished  by  these  expe- 
ditions. To  the  southward,  they  proceeded  as  far 
as  Secotan,  an  Indian  town,  which  they  estimated 
was  about  eighty  miles  distant  from  Roanoke,  "in 
the  present  county  of  Gamy,   between  the  Pamlico 


£/AW^ 


lane's  description  of  the  country.       77 

and  the  Neuse."  They  made  the  passage  with 
difficulty,  through  a  broad  sound  full  of  dangerous 
flats  and  shoals,  in  a  boat  with  four  oars,  and  carry- 
ing fifteen  men,  with  their  provisions  and  baggage. 
To  the  north,  they  went  as  far  as  to  the  Ches- 
pians  —  about  a  hundred  and  thirty  miles.  They 
regarded  the  expedition  as  perilous,  because  the 
water  was  shallow,  the  bay  wide,  and  in  case  any 
accident  happened,  it  would  have  been  very,  difficult 
to  obtain  help.  Mr.  Bancroft  fixes  the  extent  of 
their  northern  exploration  at  the  small  river  Eliz- 
abeth, which  falls  into  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  just 
below  Norfolk.  They  penetrated  into  the  interior 
some  distance  beyond  the  junction  of  the  Meherrin 
and  the  Nottaway,  to  Chawanook.  In  Governor 
Lane's  own  account  of  these  explorations,  he  says, 
"  The  territory  and  soil  of  the  Chespians  (being 
distant  fifteen  miles  from  the  shore)  was  for  pleas- 
antness of  seat,  for  temperature  of  climate,  for 
fertility  of  soil,  and  for  the  commodity  of  the  sea, 
besides  multitude  of  bears,  (being  an  excellent 
good  victual,)  with  great  woods  of  sassafras  and 
walnut  trees,  is  not  to  be  excelled  by  any  other 
whatsoever." 

He  states,  after  mentioning  the  unpronounceable 
names  of  several  Indian  towns  which  they  passed 
on  the  rivers,  that  Chawanook  is   the  largest,  and 

capable  of  sending  seven  hundred  warriors  into  the 

7  * 


78  AN    INTELLIGENT    INDIAN. 

field.  The  king  of  this  province  was  named  Men 
atonon,  "  a  man  impotent  in  his  limbs,  but  other- 
wise, for  a  savage,  a  very  grave  and  wise  man, 
and  of  a  very  singular  good  discourse  in  matters 
concerning  the  state,  not  only  of  his  own  country, 
and  the  disposition  of  his  own  men,  but  also  of  his 
neighbors  round  about  him,  as  well  far  as  near, 
and  of  the  commodities  that  each  country  yield- 
eth."  *  The  governor  took  him  prisoner,  and 
kept  him  for  two  days  ;  and  from  him  he  received 
more  valuable  information  than  he  had  derived  from 
all  the  other  savages  together.  Among  other  tilings, 
he  told  him  that  by  going  three  days'  journey  up 
his  river  Chawanook,  he  would  be  within  four  or 
five  days'  journey  of  another  kingdom,  bordering 
upon  the  sea,  but  having,  as  its  place  of  greatest 
strength,  an  island,  situated  in  a  bay,  and  surround- 
ed by  very  deep  water.  From  this  bay  the  king 
of  that  country  obtains  so  great  a  quantity  of  pearls, 
that  not  only  are  the  robes  of  himself  and  followers 
abundantly  ornamented  with  them,  but  also  his  beds 
and  houses,  so  that  it  is  a  curiosity  to  see  him.  He 
showed  the  governor  some  of  these  pearls,  which  he 
had  purchased  of  the  king  about  two  years  before ; 
and  though  they  were  black,  he  paid  a  dear  price 
for   them.      Some    of   these    he    <mve   to    Governor 


B' 


Lane,  in  Hakluyl. 


A   WEALTHY    CHIEF.  79 

Lane,  among  which  were  a  few  very  round  and 
beautiful.  He  informed  him  that  the  black  pearls 
were  obtained  from  the  shallow,  and  the  large 
white  ones  from  the  deep  water  of  the  bay,  in 
which  was  the  island  before  alluded  to.  This  story 
of  the  wonderful  quantity  of  pearl  powerfully  ex 
cited  the  cupidity  of  Lane,  and  he  resolved  to  make 
this  wealthy  native  monarch  a  visit.  He  regarded 
it  as  extremely  desirable  to  form  an  acquaintance 
with  one  who  possessed  in  such  abundance  these 
valuable  jewels.  It  was  his  opinion  that  this  king 
trafficked  with  white  men  who  dressed  as  the  Eng- 
lish did  ;  that  for  them  he  saved  all  his  white  pearls, 
and  for  this  reason  would  sell  none  but  black  ones 
to  Indians. 

Menatonon  offered  to  furnish  him  with  guides, 
but  at  the  same  time  advised  him  to  take  a  consid- 
erable number  of  men,  and  a  good  stock  of  stores, 
as  the  king  whom  they  would  visit  was  jealous  of 
strangers,  and  \ery  unwilling  for  any  but  his  own 
people  to  fish  for  pearls.  Lane  at  once  resolved,  in 
case  any  supplies  reached  him  from  England  by  the 
end  of  April,  to  set  out  on  this  important  expe- 
dition. His  plan  was  to  send  some  boats  by  sea  to 
discover  the  bay  referred  to,  and  explore  it,  whilst 
he,  with  another  company  of  two  hundred  men, 
would  go  up  the  River  of  Chawanook,  accompanied 
by   the  guides  which  were  promised  him.     It   was 


80  REMOVAL    CONTEMPLATED. 

his  intention,  also,  to  have  kept  Menatonon's  sou  a 
prisoner  on  the  journey,  in  order  to  secure  fidelity 
on  the  part  of  the  guide.  He  also  arranged  to 
provide  fortified  places  on  the  route,  protected  by  a 
garrison  of  fifteen  or  twenty  men,  which  he  was  to 
leave  within  them.  After  reaching  the  head  of  the 
river,  he  would  then  cross  over  land  to  the  bay,  and 
join  the  other  party,  who  were  to  be  there  waiting 
for  him.  In  case  he  found  a  good  harbor  there, 
which  should  appear  to  him  preferable  to  the  one 
at  Roanoke,  he  intended  to  take  possession  of  it, 
and  remove  there  with  his  whole  colony.  This 
was  to  be  his  plan  of  operations,  in  case  he  re- 
ceived accessions  from  England;  but  after  receiving 
other  intelligence,  so  greatly  was  his  anxiety  in- 
creased to  commence  operations,  that  he  resolved 
not  to  delay.  His  movements  were  hastened  by 
certain  marvellous  things  which  he  heard  respecting 
a  famous  river,  called  by  the  Indians  Moratoc.  It 
was  said  that  the  origin  of  this  river  was  at  a  dis- 
tance of  thirty  or  forty  days'  travel  from  Roanoke, 
and  that  there  the  water  gushed  out  of  a  large  rock 
in  such  quantity  as  to  make  at  once  a  most  violent 
stream.  This  huge  rock  was  so  near  to  the  ocean, 
that  in  times  of  storm,  when  the  wind  blew  in 
from  the  sea,  the  resistless  rolling  billows  dashed 
over  the  intervening  land,  and  mingled  with  the 
fresh    water    of   the    river,    rendering    it    salt    and 


A    FAMOUS    RIVER.  81 

brackish  for  a  considerable  distance.  Lane  was 
anxious  to  discover  this  singular  river-producing 
rock.  The  account  of  it  he  knew  would  furnish 
an  interesting  chapter  in  the  report  of  his  expe- 
ditions, which,  as  in  duty  bound,  he  was  to  return 
to  his  employer  in  England. 

Menatonon,  whom  he  had  held  in  captivity,  he 
released  for  a  certain  ransom  price,  and  then  com- 
menced his  exploration  of  the  river.  The  Moratoc, 
now  known  as  the  Roanoke,  emptied  into  the 
Albemarle  Sound,  then  called  by  the  Indians 
Weapomeiok.  His  plan  was  to  take  two  double 
wherries,  with  forty  men,  and  provisions  sufficient 
only  to  last  until  they  reached  the  Moratocs,  or 
Mangoaks,  tribes  of  Indians  whom  they  expected 
to  pass  on  their  journey,  and  ascend  the  Roanoke, 
if  possible,  to  its  mysterious  head.  This  neglect  to 
lay  in  more  provisions  came  near  proving  fatal  to 
the  whole  party. 

For  the  king,  Wingina,  who,  upon  the  death  of 
his  brother,  had  changed  his  name  to  Pemissapan, 
although  he  had  frequently  importuned  the  English 
to  visit  the  interior  tribes  of  Indians,  now  that  his 
request  was  about  to  be  complied  with,  sent  word 
to  those  tribes  that  the  white  men  were  cominjj  to 
destroy  them.  The  consequence  was,  that,  as  Lane 
and  his  company  ascended  the  stream,  the  Indians, 
instead  of  meeting  them    and   trading  with  them  as 


82  TREASON   AND    STRATAGEM. 

they  otherwise  would  have  done,  fled  before  them 
carrying  away  their  corn,  and  leaving  nothing  hut 
empty  wigwams  for  their  visitors.  The  limited 
stock  of  provisions  which  Lane  took  with  him  was 
rapidly  diminishing.  After  having  proceeded  up 
the  river  for  three  days,  without  seeing  an  Indian 
or  finding  a  grain  of  corn,  he  began  to  be  alarmed. 
Being  then  a  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from  home, 
knowing  that  he  had  victuals  for  only  two  days  left, 
suspecting  treason  in  his  own  savages,  and  appre- 
hensive lest  he  might  meet  with  violent  storms, 
which  would  impede  his  return,  and  perhaps  prove 
fatal  to  some,  if  not  all,  of  his  company,  he 
concluded  to  make  known  to  them  their  true  con- 
dition, and  ask  their  opinion  as  to  the  best  course 
to  pursue.  Accordingly,  in  the  evening,  before 
appointing  the  sentinels  for  the  night,  he  called  the 
whole  company  together,  laid  before  them  their 
real  situation,  informed  them  of  his  own  suspicions 
that  they  were  betrayed  by  their  own  savages,  and 
drawn  forth  into  the  country  to  be  starved ;  and 
that,  as  they  only  had  two  days'  provisions  on  hand, 
it  would  be  best  for  them  to  return  home,  and  that, 
in  returning,  it  would  be  wise  to  take  a  different 
route  from  that  by  which  they  had  come,  so  that 
they  might  visit  the  fishing  "  weares  of  Chympa- 
num,"  where  they  might  obtain  some  relief.  How- 
ever,   after    making    a    full   statement,    he   said   he 


COURAGEOUS    RESOLUTION.  83 

would  submit  the  whole  matter  to  them  for  their 
decision,  and  would  abide  by  the  votes  of  the 
majority  whether  to  return,  or  to  spend  all  of  their 
provisions  in  surveying  that  goodly  river,  with  the 
hope  that  they  would  have  better  fortune  in  meeting 
with  the  natives,  and  in  finding  food.  But  tbf 
the}  might  not  be  hasty  in  coming  to  a  decision, 
advised  them  to  think  of  the  subject  over  night,  ana 
he  would  call  for  their  opinion  in  the  morning. 

The  decision  of  the  company  was,  that  whilst  a 
half  a  pint  of  corn  per  man  was  left,  they  would 
not  relinquish  the  examination  of  the  river  ;  that  as 
tu  3  were  in  the  company  two  mastiff  clogs,  when 
.  other  food  gave  out,  they  could  convert  them 
into  pottage,  season  it  with  sassafras,  and  live  upon 
it  two  days  ;  that  by  that  time  the  current  of  the 
river  would  carry  them  to  the  entrance  of  the 
sound,  over  which  they  might  pass  in  two  days 
more,  and  be  relieved  by  the  fish  wears ;  which 
two  days,  they  said,  they  would  rather  fast  than  be 
drawn  back  a  foot,  till  they  had  seen  the  Indians, 
either  as  friends  or  foes.  With  this  resolution 
Governor  Lane  said  he  was  well  pleased,  and  thai 
he  merely  pretended  to  be  of  a  different  opinion  out 
of  "  mistrust  of  that  which  afterwards  did  happen." 

The  tribe  which  they  were  particularly  desirous 
of  meeting  was  cdled  the  Mangoaks,  who  were 
said   to   traffic    up    the   Roanoke,  and   who,   it  '-vaa 


84  METHOD    OF    MINING. 

presumed,  could  give  them  valuable  information 
respecting  a  "  marvelous  and  most  strange  mineral " 
which  it  produced.  The  existence  of  a  mine  some- 
where on  that  river  was  extensively  known  among 
the  neighboring  tribes.  The  country  in  which  it 
was  located  was  called  Chaunis  Temoatan. 

"  They  say  that  they  take  the  said  metal  out  oi* 
a  river  that  falleth  very  swift  from  high  rocks  and 
hills.  The  manner  is  this  :  They  take  a  great 
bowl,  by  their  description  as  great  as  one  of  our 
targets,  and  wrap  a  skin  over  the  hollow  part 
thereof,  leaving  one  part  open  to  receive  in  the 
mineral.  That  done,  they  watch  the  coming  down 
of  the  current,  and  the  change  of  the  color  of  the 
water,  and  then  suddenly  clap  down  the  said  bowl 
with  the  skin,  and  receive  into  the  same  as  much 
ore  as  will  come  in,  which  is  ever  as  much  as  their 
bowl  will  hold,  which  presently  they  cast  into  a  fire, 
and  forthwith  it  melteth,  and  doth  yield  in  five  parts, 
at  the  first  melting,  two  parts  of  metal  for  three 
parts  of  ore.  Of  this  metal  the  Mangoaks  have  so 
great  store,  by  report  of  all  the  savages  adjoining, 
that  they  beautify  their  houses  with  great  plates  of 
the  same." 

This  metal  the  Indians  called  wassador,  a  ge- 
neric name,  however,  which  they  applied  to  metals 
in  general.  They  said  it  resembled  the  English 
copper,   except  that    it    was    paler    and   softer.      It 


A    COVETED    METAL.  85 

was  easy  for  the  excited  imaginations  of  the  Eng- 
lish to  convert  this  soft,  pale  red,  or  yellow  metal 
into  gold.  Their  cupidity  being  aroused,  they  were 
the  more  anxious  to  have  an  interview  with  the 
Mangoaks,  and  obtain  not  only  more  information, 
but  specimens  of  the  mysterious  mineral,  and,  if 
possible,  be  led  to  the  mine.  They  therefore  de- 
termined not  to  return,  but  to  continue  to  ascend 
the  stream,  and  persevere  in  their  efforts  to  obtain 
an  interview  with  the  Mangoaks,  and,  if  successful, 
to  take  some  of  them  prisoners,  and  use  them  as 
guides.  Manteo,  who  had  made  a  visit  to  England, 
and  had  picked  up  something  of  the  English  lan- 
guage, accompanied  them  as  their  interpreter,  so 
that,  in  case  they  fell  in  with  any  of  the  natives, 
they  could  have  conversation    with   them. 

The  deceitful  statements  of  Pemissapan,  that 
their  intentions  were  evil,  defeated  all  their  efforts. 
The  Indians  shunned  them  as  though  they  believed 
the  report,  that  their  object  was  to  destroy  them. 

Governor  Lane,  in  the  account  of  this  expedition 
which  he  sent  to  his  employer,  —  Sir  Walter  Ra- 
leigh,—  says  that  he  yielded  willingly  to  the  de- 
cision of  his  company  to  persevere. 

"  But  it  fell  out  very  contrary  to  all  expectation 

and  likelihood,  for  after  two  days'  travel,  and  our 

whole   victual   spent,   lying   on   shore  all  night,  we 

could  never  see  man,  only  fires  we  might  perceive 

8 


86  AN    ATTACK. 

made  along  the  shore  where  we  were  to  pass,  arid 
up  into  the  country,  until  the  very  last  day ;  in  the 
evening  whereof,  about  three  of  the  clock,  we 
heard  certain  savages  call,  as  we  thought,  Manteo, 
who  was  also  at  that  time  with  me  in  the  boat, 
whereof  we  all  being  very  glad,  hoping  of  some 
friendly  conference  with  them,  and  making  him  to 
answer  them,  they  presently  began  a  song,  as  we 
thought  in  token  of  our  welcome  to  them  ;  but 
Manteo  presently  betook  him  to  his  piece,  and  told 
me  that  they  meant  to  fight  with  us,  which  word 
was  not  so  soon  spoken  by  him,  and  the  light  horse- 
men ready  to  put  to  shore,  but  there  lighted  a  volley 
of  their  arrows  amongst  them  in  the  boat,  but  did  no 
hurt  (God  be  thanked)  to  any  man.  Immediately, 
the  other  boat  lying  ready  with  their  shot  to  scour 
the  place  for  our  hand  weapons  to  land  upon,  which 
was  presently  done,  although  the  land  was  very 
high  and  steep,  the  savages  forthwith  quitted  the 
shore,  and  betook  themselves  to  flight.  We  landed, 
and,  having  fair  and  easily  followed  for  a  small 
time  after  them,  who  had  wooded  themselves,  we 
know  not  where.  The  sun  drawing  towards  the 
setting,  and  being  then  assured  that  the  next  day, 
if  we  would  pursue  them,  though  we  might  happen 
to  meet  with  them,  yet  we  should  be  assured  to 
meet  with  none  of  their  victual,  which  we  then  had 
good  cause  to  think   of;  therefore  choosing  for  the 


DETERMINATION   TO    RETURN.  8/ 

company  a  convenient  ground  in  safety  to  lodge  in 
for  the  night,  making  a  strong  corps  of  guard,  and 
putting  out  good  sentinels,  I  determined  the  next 
morning,  before  the  rising  of  the  sun,  to  be  going 
back  again,  if  possibly  we  might  recover  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  into  the  broad  sound,  which  at  my  first 
motion  I  found  my  whole  company  ready  to  assent 
unto  ;  for  they  were  now  come  to  their  dog's  por- 
ridge, that  they  had  bespoken  for  themselves,  if 
that  befell  them,  which  did,  and  I  before  did  mis- 
trust we  should  hardly  escape.  The  end  was,  we 
came  the  next  day,  by  night,  to  the  river's  mouth, 
within  four  or  five  miles  of  the  same,  having  rowed 
in  one  day,  clown  the  current,  as  much  as  in  four 
days  we  had  done  against  the  same.  We  lodged 
upon  an  island,  where  we  had  nothing  in  the  world 
to  eat  but  pottage  of  sassafras  leaves,  the  like 
whereof  for  a  meat  was  never  used  before,  as  I 
think.  The  broad  sound  we  had  to  pass  the  next 
day  all  fresh  and  fasting.  That  day,  the  wind 
blew  so  strongly,  and  the  billow  so  great,  that 
there  was  no  possibility  of  passage  without  sink- 
ing of  our  boats.  This  was  upon  Easter  eve, 
which  was  fasted  very  truly.  Upon  Easter  day,  in 
the  morning,  the  wind  coming  very  calm,  we  en- 
tered the  sound,  and  by  four  of  the  clock,  we  were 
at  Chipanum,  whence   all  the  savages   we   had  left 


8S  ARRIVAL    AT    ROANOKE. 

there  were  fled  ;  but  their  wears  did  yield  us  some 
fish,  as  God  was  pleased  not  utterly  to  suffer  us  to 
be  lost  ;  for  some  of  our  company  of  the  light 
horsemen  were  far  spent.  The  next  morning  we 
arrived  at  our  home,  Roanoke." 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

New  Plots.  —  The  Colony  in  great  Jeopardy.  —  Indian  Funera" 
Customs.  —  Murders  projected.  —  The  Plot  revealed.  —  The 
Watchword.  —  Pemissapan  slain.  —  The  Colony  saved.  —  A 
Fleet.  —  Painful  Suspense.  —  Relief.  —  Sir  Francis  Drake.— 
His  Kindness.  —  Great  Storm.  —  Its  Effects.  —  The  Colonists 
disheartened.  —  Drake  takes  them  on  Board.  —  Character  of 
Lane.  —  Arrival  of  Supplies,  but  no  Colony.  —  Their  Return.  — 
Arrival  of  Sir  Richard  Greenville. — His  Surprise.  —  His  Re- 
turn. —  He  leaves  fifteen  Men.  —  He  destroys  Spanish  Towns. 

The  expedition  which  was  related  in  the  last 
chapter  seems  to  have  resulted  in  no  permanent  ben- 
efit to  the  English,  except  in  making  them  acquainted, 
by  painful  experience,  with  the  methods  adopted  by 
the  savages  to  annoy  and  destroy  their  pursuing 
enemies.  It  also  made  them  sensibly  realize  that 
Pemissapan  was  a  dangerous  neighbor,  whom  sound 
policy  required  them  closely  to  watch. 

After  their  return  from  their  exploration  of  the 
Roanoke,  new  events  which  occurred  served  to  con- 
firm their  opinion  of  the  treacherous  and  dangerous 
character  of  this  wily  chief.  Ensenore,  the  father 
of  Pemissapan,  was  a  true  friend  of  the  colonists. 
He  had  no  sympathy  with  the  antipathy  and  mali- 
ciousness of  his  son.  In  the  councils  which  were 
held  to  deliberate  upon  the  policy  to  be  adopted 
towards  the  white  strangers,  he  always  stood  up  aa 
8* 


90  PEMISOAPAN  S    PLOT. 

their  protector,  and  interposed  his  influence  for  their 
good.  His  name  should  be  held  in  grateful  remem- 
brance by  their  descendants. 

Still,  according  to  Governor  Lane's  account, 
Pemissapan  arranged  a  plan  for  the  overthrow  <_f 
the  colony.  After  having  projected  a  variety  of 
annoyances,  such  as  the  withholding  of  food  from 
the  English,  omitting  to  plant  corn,  destroying  their 
fishing  wears,  and  thus  obliging  them  to  live  mainly 
upon  clams,  muscles,  and  other  shell  fish,  he  devised 
an  artful  plot  for  their  destruction. 

It  was  the  custom  with  the  Indians,  when  any  of 
their  principal  men  deceased,  to  observe  a  great  fes- 
tival to  their  honor.  When  Ensenore,  who  was  ad- 
vanced in  years,  died,  which  occurred  about  this 
time,  his  son,  Pemissapan,  resolved  to  have  a  fes- 
tival to  his  memory,  and  when  large  numbers  of 
Indians  should  have  assembled  together,  to  make  an 
attack  upon  the  English  and  destroy  them.  Indians 
of  different  tribes  were  to  be  collected,  and  were  to 
have  their  encampments  located  in  different  places, 
and  when  one  portion  of  them  should  succeed  in 
executing  Governor  Lane,  bonfires  were  to  be  lighted 
at  prominent  points  as  the  signal  of  their  success? 
and  then  others  were  to  make  an  attack  upon  the 
English  colony,  and  cut  them  all  off"  in  cold  blood. 

The  method  which  had  been  adopted  for  the  de- 
struction  of  the   governor  was  as  follows  :    Twenty 


VARIOUS    MURDERS     PLANNED  91 

v 

warriors,  under  the  command  of  two  principal  braves, 
were  appointed  to  watch  his  person.  They  were  to 
ascertain  in  what  house  he  lodged,  and  at  midnight, 
when  they  had  reason  to  believe  that  he  was  fast 
locked  in  unconscious  sleep,  they  were  to  station 
themselves  around  his  door  ;  some  of  them  were 
then  to  set  the  house  on  fire  by  kindling  the  dry 
reeds  with  which  it  was  covered,  and  when  he  should 
awake  and  attempt  to  escape  from  the  burning  build- 
ing, they  were  to  fall  upon  him  with  their  weapons 
and  put  him  to  death.  The  same  plan  was  arranged 
for  the  destruction  of  other  prominent  Englishmen. 
The  town  and  the  fort  were  then  to  be  burned  and 
the  colonists  destroyed  wherever  they  could  be  found. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  Governor  Lane's  account  of  the 
matter,  which  he  says  was  revealed  to  him  by  an 
Indian  named  Skyco,  and  was  confirmed  by  one  of 
Pemissapan's  own  men. 

The  plot  being  disclosed,  Lane  began  to  counter- 
plot, and  after  a  while  succeeded  in  securing  an 
interview  with  Pemissapan  and  eight  of  his  princi- 
pal men.  Regarding  this  a  favorable  opportunity 
for  inflictirg  upon  the  traitorous  Indian  deserved 
death,  he  gave  to  his  own  guard  the  watchword, 
which  had  been  previously  communicated  to  them, 
which  was,  "  Christ  our  victory,"  when  instantly 
they  sprang  upon  the  Indians  and  slew  them.  Pem- 
issapan was  shot  through  by  the  colonel  with  a  pistol, 


92  A    FLEET  !    A    FLEET  ! 

and  fell  as  if  dead  ;  but  during  the  continuance  of 
the  melee,  he  seized  a  favorable  opportunity,  sud- 
denly sprang  to  his  feet,  and  started  oft*  with  the 
speed  of  the  deer,  his  bullet  wound  operating  like  a 
spur  to  a  horse  ;  "  insomuch,"  says  Lane,  "  as  he 
overran  all  the  company,  being,  by  the  way,  shot 
thwart  the  buttocks  by  mine  Irish  boy  with  my 
petronell.*  In  the  end,  an  Irishman  serving  me, 
one  Nugent,  and  the  deputy  provost,  undertook  him  ; 
and  following  him  in  the  woods  overtook  him  ;  and 
I  in  some  doubt  lest  we  had  lost  both  the  king  and 
my  man  by  our  own  negligence  to  have  been  inter- 
cepted by  the  savages,  we  met  him  returning  out  of  the 
woods  with  Pemissapan's  head  in  his  hand."  This 
transpired  on  the  1st  of  June,  15S6.  Thus  the  colony 
was  saved  from  the  dangers  which  encompassed  it. 

On  the  8th  of  the  same  month,  intelligence 
reached  Governor  Lane  that  a  great  fleet  of  three 
and  twenty  sail  were  upon  the  coast ;  but  whether 
they  were  friends  or  foes  was  unknown.  This  in- 
formation was  communicated  by  Captain  Stafford, 
who  was  then  lying  at  my  Lord  Admiral's  Island. 
This  was  important  news.  If  this  large  fleet  were 
enemies,  and  should  discover  the  colony,  it  would 
oe  an  easy  thing  for  them  to  conquer  and  make 
orisoners  of  war  of  all  the  English  ;   but  if  they  were 

*  A  kind  of  carabine,  or  large  horsemar.  s  pistol. 


ARRIVAL    OF    SIR    FRANCIS    DRAKE.  93 

friends,  they  could  not  have  come  at  a  better  time. 
Intense  solicitude  was  felt  to  discover  their  flag. 
As  they  gradually  neared  the  coast,  corning  on  like 
a  flock  of  white-winged  sea  birds,  the  eyes  of  the 
English  were  strained  to  make  out  their  national 
character.  They  earnestly  hoped  that  they  might 
prove  to  be  reinforcements,  and  fresh  stores,  which 
they  had  been  expecting  from  home ;  yet  in  conse- 
quence of  their  large  number,  they  feared  that  that 
could  not  be  the  case,  unless  a  portion  of  them  were 
a  naval  convoy,  accompanying  the  others  for  their 
protection.  Their  suspense,  however,  was  of  short 
duration.  The  most  joyous  excitement  was  created 
in  the  little  colony  when  it  was  ascertained  that  this 
was  an  English  fleet,  under  the  command  of  the  re- 
nowned Sir  Francis  Drake.  He  had  visited  them 
in  obedience  to  the  command  of  her  majesty,  Queen 
Elizabeth  of  England,  to  inquire  after  their  welfare, 
and  to  supply  their  wants.  Despondency  now  gave 
place  to  hope.  As  their  necessities  were  to  be  met 
in  men,  boats,  and  provisions,  they  expected  to  be 
able  to  maintain  their  position  until  the  anticipated 
I  enforcements  from  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  arrived. 

Drake  treated  the  colony  with  great  courtesy  and 
kindness.  At  their  request  he  furnished  them  with 
one  bark,  called  the  Francis,  of  seventy  tons,  two 
pinnaces,  and  four  small  boats,  with  provisions  suffi- 
cient to  last  a  hundred  men  four  months,  so  that  in 


91  FRESH    SUPPLIES. 

case  nothing  was  heard  from  Sir  Walter  Raleigh, 
and  it  became  necessary,  as  a  matter  of  self-preser- 
vation, for  them  to  return  to  England,  they  might 
have  the  means  of  so  doing ;  or  if  they  remained 
in  the  new  world,  that  they  might  be  able  to  make 
explorations  in  safety  along  the  coast.  As  a  num- 
ber of  the  colonists  were  weak,  sickly,  and  other- 
wise inefficient,  Drake  also  supplied  Governor  Lane 
with  a  number  of  able-bodied  men  and  some  expe- 
rienced and  discreet  officers,  two  of  whom  were 
Abraham  Kendall  and  Griffith  Heme.  The  pro- 
visions and  the  new  officers,  with  a  number  of  others 
from  the  colony,  were  on  board  the  Francis,  when, 
on  the  day  following  the  new  arrangement,  a  violent 
storm  arose,  which  compelled  the  Francis,  with  all 
on  board,  to  escape  to  sea.  The  storm  continued 
four  days  —  from  the  13th  to  the  16th  of  June.  Aa 
the  road  where  the  fleet  was  anchored  was  much 
exposed,  a  number  of  the  other  vessels  were  obliged 
to  put  to  sea  also.  Indeed,  so  severe  was  the 
weather,  and  so  powerful  the  rolling  waves,  "  that 
the}  had  like  to  have  driven  all  on  shore,  if  the  Lord 
had  not  held  his  holy  hand  over  them." 

The  Francis  did  not  return.  She  was  not  heard 
of  again  till  Drake  arrived  in  England,  where  he 
met  her.  He  now  offered  to  supply  the  colonists 
with  another  vessel.  But  after  consultation  among 
themselves,  they  declined  accepting  it.     So  great  had 


THE    COLONY    RETURNS.  95 

been  their  discomforts,  so  unfriendly  were  the  In- 
dians, that  they  were  effectually  weaned  from  the 
love  of  colonial  life  in  America.  And  now  that 
their  fresh  supply  of  provisions  and  men  had  been 
carried  away  in  consequence  of  the  weather,  they 
construed  it  into  the  frown  of  divine  Providence 
upon  their  attempt  at  colonization ;  they  therefore 
requested  the  admiral  to  receive  them  on  board  his 
vessels  and  take  them  home.  Drake  readily  con- 
dented  to  comply  with  their  wishes.  But  in  getting 
ihem  on  board  his  vessels,  so  boisterous  was  the 
rveather,  and  so  often  did  the  pinnaces  get  aground, 
that  almost  all  their  luggage,  with  all  their  cards, 
books,  and  writings,  was  cast  overboard  by  the 
sailors.  After  the  colonists  were  divided  among  the 
different  vessels  of  the  fleet,  "  the  general,  in  the 
name  of  the  Almighty,  weighing  his  anchors,  set  sail 
the  19th  of  June,  15S6,  and  arrived  in  Portsmouth, 
England,  the  27th  of  July  the  same  year." 

Thus  ingloriously  terminated  Governor  Ralph 
Lane's  colony  on  the  Island  of  Roanoke.  Lane 
seems  to  have  been  a  man  of  too  little  nerve,  cour- 
age, and  persevering  determination,  under  difficulties, 
to  be  the  founder  of  a  colony.  He  was  not  a  man 
to  infuse  vigor  into  the  drooping  spirits  of  others, 
and  to  lead  a  forlorn  hope.  In  the  present  instance 
he  became  discouraged  too  soon.  We  think,  too, 
that    he    magnified    his    dangers    arising    from    the 


96  CHARACTER    OF    LANE. 

Indians.  With  more  firmness  on  his  part,  he  might 
have  kept  the  colony  together  until  the  promised 
reinforcements  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  arrived.  For 
at  the  time  Admiral  Drake  visited  them,  they  had 
crops  in  the  ground  (of  which  the  corn  was  within 
a  fortnight  of  gathering)  sufficient  to  have  lasted 
them  two  years.  As  Pemissapan  was  then  slain,  as 
some  of  the  neighboring  tribes  were  friendly  to  the 
English,  and  as  all  the  Indians  were  in  great  dread 
of  fire-arms,  we  think  that  Lane  might,  with  proper 
policy,  in  his  treatment  of  the  Indians,  have  so  man- 
aged as  to  have  secured  a  permanent  settlement. 
But  he  was  not  the  man  for  the  crisis.  He  precipi- 
tately fled  from  the  place ;  and  thus  fell  the  first  at- 
tempt of  the  English  to  settle  a  colony  upon  the 
shores  of  the  new  world  ! 

It  is  difficult,  even  at  this  late  day,  to  suppress  a 
feeling  of  regret  at  his  hasty  departure,  when  we 
know  that  Sir  Walter  was  exerting  himself  nobly  at 
home  to  fulfil  his  promise  of  further  assistance,  and 
that  the  assistance  was  actually  sent,  though  at  a 
later  period  than  was  expected. 

The  same  year,  and  only  a  short  time  after  Drake 
had  taken  the  colonists  away,  a  ship  of  a  hundred 
tons,  abundantly  freighted  with  all  kinds  of  supplies 
for  the  young  colony,  arrived  upon  the  coast.  It 
had  been  sent  out  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  according 
to  his  promise.     After  examining  "this  paradise  of 


ARRIVALS    TOO    LATE.  97 

the  world  for  some  time,  and  being  unable  to  find 
the  colony  whom  they  had  come  to  relieve,  they 
were  obliged  to  return,  taking  all  their  supplies  with 
them." 

About  a  fortnight  after  his  departure,  Sir  Richard 
Greenville,  who  had  brought  the  colonists  to  this 
new  world,  also  arrived,  with  three  vessels  well 
freighted.  He  visited  Roanoke,  and  was  surprised 
to  see  the  place  deserted.  Not  an  Englishman 
could  be  found.  A*fter  making  several  excursions 
into  the  country  in  different  directions,  for  the  double 
purpose  of  learning,  if  he  could,  the  fate  of  the 
colony,  and  of  making  further  discoveries  of  the 
geography  and  productions  of  the  land,  he  concluded 
to  return.  But  being  unwilling  to  lose  possession 
of  the  country,  he,  after  grave  deliberation  with  his 
officers,  decided  to  leave  fifteen  men  to  hold  the 
place. 

After  selecting  the  men,  and  depositing  with  them 
provisions,  he  bade  them  farewell,  and  departed, 
leaving  them  the  sole  guardians  of  a  continent. 

On  his  return  he  visited  the  Islands  of  Azores, 
landed,  and  destroyed  the  towns,  taking  many  Span- 
iards prisoners. 

9 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Indian  Clothing.  —  Their  Weapons.  —  Their  Houses.  —  Mode  of 
Warfare.  —  Their  religious  Opinions.  —  Stories  about  Resurrec- 
tion from  the  Dead.  —  Astonishment  at  certain  English  Ar- 
ticles.—  Their  Opinions  of  the  English.  —  Their  religious  In- 
struction. —  Their  singular  Treatment  of  the  Bible.  —  Requests 
for  Prayers.  —  Strange  Sickness.  —  How  it  was  accounted 
for.  —  English  thought  to  be  Gods. — Invisible  Bullets.  —  In- 
dian Uses  of  Tobacco  — Snuff  for  Fish. —  Raleifrh's  Wajrer 
with  the  Queen.  —  A  Man  on  Fire.  —  Permanence  of  Indian 
Customs. 

Amongst  the  colonists  who  went  out  with  Gov- 
ernor Ralph  Lane  was  Mr.  Thomas  Hariot,  a 
scientific  gentleman,  who  was  appointed  to  inves- 
tigate the  natural  productions  of  the  country,  the 
commodities  and  habits  of  the  natives,  and  write 
the  history  of  the  expedition.  From  his  account, 
which  is  published  in  Hakluvt's  Collection, — a  rare 
book,  —  we  gather  the  following  facts  concerning 
the   natives  of  that  region. 

Their  clothing  consisted  of  mantles  and  aprons 
of  deer  skins.  The  mantles  were  thrown  loosely 
over  their  shoulders,   and  the  aprons  worn  in  front. 

They  had  no  edge  tools  or  weapons  of  iron  or 
steel.  They  used  bows  made  of  witch-hazel, 
arrows  of  reeds,  and  flat-edged  clubs  about  a  yard 
lung.      To  protect  themselves  from  the  weapons  of 


INDIAN    WIGWAMS  99 

their  enemies,  they  had  shields  made  of  bark,  and 
others  composed  of  sticks,  woven  together  like 
basket  work.  Their  huts  were  made  by  placing  a 
number  of  flexible  poles  in  the  ground,  and  then 
bending  '  them  nil  their  tops  met.  They  were 
there  fastened  together,  and  then  covered-  with 
bark  of  trees,  or  mats  ;  or  else  thatched  with  grass 
and  rushes  down  to  the  ground.  Some  of  them 
were  long,  like  an  arbor ;  others  perfectly  round. 
A  square  opening  was  left  in  one  side  for  a  door, 
and  a  hole  in  the  top  for  the  double  purpose  of 
chimney  and  window.  In  size  they  were  from 
twelve  to  twenty-four  yards  in  length,  and  half  as 
wide.  Their  towns,  which  were  generally  near  the 
sea,  were  small,  embracing  from  ten  to  thirty  of 
these  cabins.  Some  of  them  were  protected  by  a 
stockade,  composed  of  stakes  set  thickly  together, 
and  encompassing  the  whole  village,  and  others  by 
a  slight  defence,  made  of  barks  fastened  to  posts. 

Their  wars  were  conducted  by  sudden  surprises 
in  the  early  dawn  of  the  morning,  or  at  the  dead 
hour  of  night,  and  by  deceitful  ambushes.  Or  if 
they  had  a  set  battle,  it  was  usually  in  a  part  of  the 
country  where  trees  abounded,  behind  which  they 
hid  for  protection,   whilst  they  shot  at  their  enemy. 

In  respect  to  religious  opinions,  they  thought  that 
there  were  many  gods,  and  that  they  were  of  human 
shape  ;  and,    therefore,   they   represented    them    by 


I  Dl)  INDIAN    DOCTRINES. 

images  of  men,  which  they  called  kcioasoicolc,  the 
plural  of  kcwas.  These  they  placed  in  certain 
rude  temples,  where  the  people  worshipped,  prayed, 
sang,  and  made  offerings  to  them. 

They  believed  also  in  the  immortality  of  the 
eoul,  and  that  after  this  life  they  would  be  rewarded 
according  to  their  characters  here.  "  For  the  con- 
firmation of  this  opinion,"  says  Hariot,  "  they  told 
me  two  stories  of  two  men  that  had  been  lately 
dead  and  revived  again.  The  one  happened  but 
few  years  before  our  coming  into  the  country,  of  a 
wicked  man,  which,  having  been  dead  and  buried, 
the  next  day  the  earth  of  the  grave  being  seen  to 
move,  was  taken  up  again,  who  made  declaration 
where  his  soul  had  been  ;  that  is  to  say,  very  near 
entering  into  popogusso,  (their  word  for  hell.)  Had 
not  one  of  the  gods  saved  him,  and  gave  him  leave 
to  return  again  and  teach  his  friends  what  they 
should  do  to  avoid  that  terrible  place  of  torment. 
The  other  happened  in  the  same  year  we  were 
there,  but  in  a  town  that  was  sixty  miles  from  us; 
and  it  was  told  me  for  strange  news,  that  one  being 
dead,  buried,  and  taken  up  again,  as  the  first, 
ehowed  that,  although  his  body  had  lien  dead  in  the 
grave,  yet  his  soul  was  alive,  and  had  travelled  far 
on  a  long,  broad  way,  on  both  sides  whereof  grew 
most  delicate  and  pleasant  trees,  bearing  more  rare 
und  excellent   fruits   than    ever  he  had  seen  before, 


STRANGE    STORIES.  101 

01  was  able  to  express,  and  at  length  came  to  most 
brave  and  fair  houses,  near  which  he  met  his  father, 
that  had  been  dead  before,  who  gave  him  great 
charge  to  go  back  again,  and  show  his  friends  what 
good  they  were  to  do  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  that 
place,  which  when  he  had  done,  he  should  after 
come  again." 

We  have  copied  these  stories,  not  because  we 
believe  them,  but  as  illustrations  of  the  opinions  of 
the  natives,  and  of  the  kind  of  evidence  by  which 
their  minds  are  convinced. 

When  the  English  made  their  excursions  into 
the  country,  and  also  when  the  natives  visited 
them,  they  showed  them  various  kinds  of  imple- 
ments, not  merely  to  excite  their  wonder,  but  also 
to  impress  them  with  their  great  knowledge  and 
skill,  and  in  this  manner  to  secure  their  respect, 
reverence,  and  confidence. 

Mr.  Hariot  says,  "  Most  things  they  saw  with 
us,  as  mathematical  instruments,  sea  compasses,  the 
virtue  of  the  loadstone  in  drawing  iron,  a  per- 
spective glass,  whereby  was  shewed  many  strange 
sights,  burning  glasses,  wild  fireworks,  guns,  hooks, 
writing  and  reading,  spring  clocks  that  seem  to  go 
of  themselves,  and  many  other  things  that  we  had, 
were  so  strange  unto  them,  and  so  far  exceeded 
their  capacities  to  comprehend  the  reasons  and 
means  how  they  should  be  made  and  done  that 
U  * 


102  EFFECTS    OF    CURIOSITIES. 

they  thought  they  were  rather  the  works  of  gods 
than  of  men,  or  at  the  least  wise,  they  had  been 
given  and  taught  as  of  the  gods,  which  made  many 
of  them  to  have  such  opinion  of  us,  as  that  if  they 
knew  not  the  truth  of  God  and  religion  already,  it 
was  rather  to  be  had  from  us  whom  God  so  spe- 
cially loved,  than  from  a  people  that  were  so  simple 
as  they  found  themselves  to  be  in  comparison  of  us. 
Whereupon  greater  credit  was  given  «nto  that  we 
spake  of  concerning  such  matters." 

In  every  town  which  Hariot  visited,  he  says  he 
made  known,  as  well  as  he  was  able,  the  contents  of 
the  Bible,  telling  the  Indians  that  therein  were  made 
known  the  character  of  the  only  true  God,  his 
wonderful  works,  and  especially  the  life  and  mir- 
acles of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  way  of  salvation 
through  him.  And  although  he  was  careful  to  tell 
them  that  there  was  no  virtue  in  the  material  of 
which  the  book  was  made,  but  only  in  the  great 
truths  which  it  contained,  yet  they  regarded  the 
book  with  the  greatest  reverence.  Some  would 
gently  touch  it  with  their  fingers  ;  others  devoutly 
embraced  it  in  their  arms  ;  others  again  reverently 
kissed  it,  held  it  to  their  heads  and  breasts,  and 
rubbed  it  over  their  whole  bodv,  as  if  to  indicate 
their  strong  desire  to  understand  more  fully  its 
contents,  or  perhaps,  superstitioasly  regarding  it  as 
a  charm,  they  imagined  that  in  this  way  they  might, 
by  its  mysterious  power,  ward  orT  danger. 


INDIAN    REVERENCE    FOR    THE    ENGLISH.        103 

The  chief  Wingina  and  many  of  his  men  were 
gratified  with  the  privilege  of  being  present  when 
ihe  English  were  engaged  in  their  devotions,  and  at 
other  times  they  would  request  that  prayers  and 
hymns    might   be    offered. 

On  one  occasion,  when  this  chief  was  dangerously 
ill,  and  fearing  it  might  be  a  judgment  for  offending 
the  English,  and  consequently  their  God,  he  sent  for 
some  of  them  to  pray  that  it  would  please  God 
either  to  spare  his  life,  or,  after  death,  receive  him 
into  his  own  blessed  presence,  to  dwell  there  for- 
ever.     It  was  the  same  with  others. 

It  reminds  us  of  an  interesting  incident  which 
occurred  some  years  after  in  the  history  of  Plym- 
outh. When  the  Indian  interpreter  Squanto  was 
dying,  he  called  for  Governor  Bradford,  and  re- 
quested him  to  pray  that  he  might  "  go  to  the 
Englishmen's   God    in  heaven." 

On  another  occasion,  a  great  drought  prevailed 
at  Roanoke,  and  when  the  corn  began  to  wither, 
fearing  it  was  produced  by  the  Englishmen's  God, 
in  consequence  of  some  sin  committed  by  the 
Indians,  they  came  to  the  white  strangers,  and  re- 
quested them  to  pray  to  the  God  of  England,  that 
he  would  preserve  their  corn,  promising  that  when 
it  was  ripe  the  English  should   be  partakers  of  it. 

Any  unusual  sickness,  losses,  or  catastrophes, 
they   attributed    to    their    displeasing    the    English, 


104  STRANGE    DISEASE. 

which  brought  down,  as  they  supposed,  the  anger 
of  their  God. 

"  One  other  rare  and  strange  accident,"  saya 
Hariot,  "  leaving  others,  will  I  mention  before  I 
end,  which  moved  the  whole  country,  that  either 
knew  or  heard  of  us,  to  have  us  in  wonderful  ad- 
miration. 

"  There  was  no  town  where  we  had  any  subtle 
device  practised  against  us,  we  leaving  it  unpun- 
ished or  not  revenged,  (because  we  sought  by  all 
means  possible  to  win  them  by  gentleness,)  but  that 
within  a  few  days  after  our  departure  from  every 
such  town,  the  people  began  to  die  very  fast,  and 
many  in  short  space,  in  some  towns  about  twenty, 
in  some  forty,  and  in  one  six  score,  which  in  truth 
was  very  many  in  respect  to  their  numbers.  This 
happened  in  no  place,  that  we  could  learn,  but 
where  we  had  been,  where  they  used  some  practice 
against  us,  and  after  such  time.  The  disease  also 
was  so  strange,  that  they  neither  knew  what  it.  was, 
nor  how  to  cure  it  :  the  like,  by  the  report  of  the 
oldest  men  in  the  country,  never  happened  before, 
time  out  of  mind  —  a  thing  especially  observed  by 
us,  as  also  by  the  natural  inhabitants  themselves; 
insomuch  that  when  some  of  the  inhabitants  which 
were  our  friends,  and  especially  the  weroance,  or 
chief,  Wingina,  had  observed  such  effects,  in  four 
or  five  towns,  to  follow  their  wicked  practices,  they  ( 


INDIAN    OPINIONS    OF     THE    ENGLISH.  105 

were  persuaded  that  it  was  the  work  of  our  God, 
through  our  means,  and  that  we  by  him  might  kill 
and  slay  whom  we  would  without  weapons,  and  not 
come  near  them." 

For  this  reason  the  friendly  Indians,  when  they 
knew  that  others  had  offended  the  English,  and  it 
had  not  been  retaliated  upon  them,  would  request 
the  colonists  to  pray  that  such  offenders  might  be 
destroyed,  as  this  would  be  greatly  to  the  credit  of 
the  English  and  of  those  natives  who  were  known 
to  be  friendly  to  them. 

To  such  requests  the  English  paid  no  regard,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  taught  the  Indians  that  they  ought 
to  pray  for  the  welfare  of  their  enemies ;  yet  when 
the  calamities  for  which  they  desired  the  English 
to  pray  actually  came,  they  attributed  them  to  their 
power  with  God,  and  came  to  them  and  rendered 
them  thanks,  that  though  they  had  declined  to 
promise  revenge  in  words,  yet  they  had  inflicted  it 
in  deeds. 

"  This  marvelous  accident  in  all  the  country 
wrought  so  strange  opinions  of  us,  that  some  people 
could  not  tell  whether  to  think  us  gods  or  men, 
and  the  rather  that  because  all  the  space  of  their 
sickneus  there  was  no  man  of  ours  known  to  die, 
or  that  was  specially  sick.  They  noted  also  that 
we  had  no  women  amongs*  us,  neither  that  we  did 
care  for  any  of  them. 


106  FIRST    USE    OF    TOBACCO. 

"Some,  therefore,  were  of  opinion  that  we  were 
not  born  of  women,  and  therefore  not  mortal,  but 
that  we  were  men  of  an  old  generation,  many 
years    past,  then   risen    again    to    immortality. 

"  Some  would  likewise  seem  to  prophesy  thai 
there  were  more  of  our  generation  yet  to  come  tc 
kill  them  and  take  their  places,  as  some  thought 
the  purpose  was  by  that  which  was  already  done. 
Those  that  were  immediately  to  come  after  us 
they  imagined  to  be  in  the  air,  yet  invisible  and 
without  bodies ;  and  that  they,  by  our  entreaty, 
and  for  the  love  of  us,  did  make  the  people  to  die 
in  that  sort  as  they  did,  by  shooting  invisible  bullets 
into  them. 

"  To  confirm  this  opinion,  their  physicians  (to 
excuse  their  ignorance  in  curing  the  disease)  would 
not  be  ashamed  to  say,  but  earnestly  make  the  sim- 
ple believe,  that  the  strings  of  blood  that  they 
sucked  out  of  their  sick  bodies  were  the  strings 
wherewithal  the  invisible  bullets  were  tied  and 
cast.  Some  also  thought  that  we  shot  them  our- 
selves out  of  our  pieces,  from  the  place  where  we 
dwelt,  and  killed  the  people  in  any  towne  that  had 
offended  us  as  we  listed,  how  far  distant  from  us 
soever  it  were." 

Hariot  also  gives  an  amusing  account  of  the 
singular  uses  of  a  weed  well  known  at  the  present 
day    by    the    name     if   tobacco,    but   which   by    the 


SINGULAR    USE    OF    SNUFF.  10* 

Indians  was  called  uppoiooc,  the  leaves  of  which, 
being  dried  and  pulverized,  the  Indians  were  accus- 
tomed to  put  into  a  clumsy  pipe  made  of  clay, 
and  suck  the  smoke  "  into  their  stomach  and  head." 
So  highly  did  they  esteem  this  uppowoc,  that  they 
imagined  it  to  be  peculiarly  acceptable  to  their  gods. 
Hence,  when  they  made  their  sacred  fires,  they  cast 
some  of  it  in  as  a  sacrifice.  If  a  storm  overtook 
them  upon  the  waters,  to  pacify  their  offended 
deities,  they  threw  snuff  in  the  air  and  upon  the 
waves.  When  they  set  a  new  wear  or  net  for 
taking  fish,  they  sprinkled  some  on  the  wear,  and 
some  in  the  atmosphere,  as  if  they  would  both  con- 
ciliate the  gods,  and  tempt  the  fish  with  a  pinch  of 
snuff;  and  when  they  escaped  from  danger,  they 
threw  some  in  the  air  as  a  thank  offering  ;  "  but  all 
done  with  strange  gestures,  stamping,  sometime 
dancing,  clapping  of  hands,  holding  up  of  hands, 
and  staring  up  into  the  heavens,  uttering  therewithal 
and  chattering  strange  words  and  noises." 

"  We  ourselves,  during  the  time  we  were  there, 
used  to  suck  it  after  their  manner,  as  also  since  our 
return."  This  was  the  origin  of  the  use  of  tobacco 
among  the  English.  Quantities  of  it  were  at  that 
time  sent  to  England  ;  and  through  the  influence  of 
Governor  Lane,  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  and  a  few 
others,   it   was   soon    introduced    into    general   use. 

Smoking  of  this  nauseous  weed  became  so 
fashionable  at  court,  that  many  distinguished  ladies 


109  RALEIGH    BETS    WITH    THE    QUEEN. 

and  noblemen  were  seen  with  a  pipe  in  their 
mouths.  Sometimes  it  led  to  amusing  incidents, 
two  of  which  we  will  relate. 

On  one  occasion,  when  tobacco  was  the  subject 
of  conversation,  Sir  Walter  laid  a  wager  with  the 
queen,  that  he  could  ascertain  exactly  the  weight  of 
the  smoke  which  was  puffed  away  in  a  pipe  of 
tobacco.  Taking  a  quantity  of  tobacco,  he  first 
accurately  weighed  it,  then  put  it  into  the  bowl  of 
the  pipe,  and  began  to  puff.  As  the  smoke  circled 
in  graceful  wreaths  around  his  head,  and  diffused 
itself  through  the  atmosphere,  it  seemed  to  the 
spectators  a  difficult,  if  not  an  impossible  task  for 
him  to  catch  the  volatile  vapor  and  imprison  it  so 
as  to  get  its  weight.  But  Sir  Walter  was  a  philos- 
opher as  well  as  courtier,  and  knew  what  he  had 
undertaken,  and  how  to  accomplish  it.  He  kept  on 
calmly  smoking  until  no  more  clouds  could  be 
produced,  and  then,  carefully  weighing  the  ashes, 
he  subtracted  their  weight  from  the  weight  of  the 
tobacco  which  he  first  put  in  his  pipe,  and  the 
remainder,  he  told  the  queen,  was  the  exact  quan- 
tity which  had  gone  off  in  smoke.  Her  majesty 
readily  assented  to  the  statement,  and  acknowledged 
that  she  had  lost.  When  she  paid  the  wager,  she 
pleasantly  said  that  she  had  '  heard  of  many  laborers 


Sir  Walter  and  Queen  Elizabeth.     Page  108. 


AMUSING    INCIDENT.  109 

in  the  fire,  that  turned  their  gold  to  smoke,  but  Sit 
Walter  was  the  first  who  had  turned  smoke  into  gold." 

Another  incident  more  humorous,  but  not  quite  so 
pleasant  to  the  subject,  occurred  about  the  same 
time.  A  country  servant  of  Sir  Walter,  who  had  not 
been  initiated  into  the  use  of  this  fashionable  article, 
and  who,  it  seems,  was  not'  acquainted  with  his 
master's  habit,  entered  Raleigh's  study  with  a  tan- 
kard of  ale  and  nutmeg.  Seeing  Raleigh  with  a 
pipe  in  his  mouth,  and  the  smoke  pouring  out,  in- 
tently engaged  over  his  books,  he  became  so  fright- 
ened that  he  threw  the  ale  into  his  face  to  extin- 
guish the  fire,  and  ran  rapidly  down  stairs,  crying 
out  in  his  loudest  tones,  "  Master  is  on  fire  !  Mas- 
ter is  on  fire,  and  before  you  can  get  to  him,  he 
will  be  burned  to  ashes  !  " 

Hariot  has  also  given  an  account  of  the  various 
kinds  of  birds,  beasts,  fishes,  and  plants  which  the 
country  at  that  early  day  was  found  to  produce  ; 
but  these  it  is  not  necessary  here  to  name. 

Many    of   the    customs,    domestic,    warlike,    and 

religious,  and  also  the  amusements  which  prevailed 

among  the  aborigines  at  the  time  of  the  first  settle- 

rnent  of  the  country,   are  found  still  to  exist  among 

the    remnant    of  their    descendants,    who,    by    the 

gradual   encroachments  of  the    whites,    have    been 

driven    to    the    far    west.     Opinions    and   practices 

amongst  them,  if  left  to  the  natural  course  of  things, 

are  found  to  alter  very  slowly. 
10 


CHAPTER     X. 

4  new  Colony.  —  An  obstinate  Pilot.  —  Search  for  the  Fifteen.— 
Condition  of  Roanoke.  —  Affecting  Scene.  —  Repairs  begun.  — 
The  Pilot's  Designs  defeated.  —  Death  of  Mr.  George  Howe  by 
the  Indians.  —  A  welcome  Reception. —  A  Badge  of  Friendship 
desired.  —  A  formal  Conference.  —  Fate  of  the  Fifteen.  —  At- 
tack of  the  Indians. — The  English  defeated.  —  False  Prom- 
ises.—  A  Midnight  Excursion.  —  Indians  surprised.  —  A  fatal 
Mistake.  —  How  it  occurred.  —  Manteo  blames  the  Indians.— 
Manleo  christened.  —  First  English  Child  born.  —  Virginia  Dare. 

Although  the  efforts  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  to 
establish  settlements  in  the  new  world  had  been  sig- 
nally unsuccessful,  and  had  occasioned  him  the  loss 
of  many  thousands  of  pounds,  yet  such  were  the 
elasticity  of  his  nature  and  the  perseverance  of  his 
disposition,  that  he  resolved  to  make  another  at- 
tempt. 

The  failure  of  the  previous  expeditions  had  brought 
the  whole  subject  of  American  colonial  enterprise 
into  disrepute.  Many  false  and  injurious  stories 
were  in  circulation  concerning  the  new  countries, 
which  greatly  tended  to  dampen  the  spirit  of  emi- 
gration. To  meet  these  malicious  fabrications,  and 
to  present  a  statement  of  the  facts  in  the  case,  Mr. 
Hariot  wrote  the  account  from  which  we  have  given 
quotations  in  the  preceding  pages. 

Iu  consequence  of  the  untrue  reports  in  circulation, 


ANOTHER    COMPANY.  Ill 

Sir  Walter  must  have  found  no  little  difficulty  in 
collecting  another  company  to  seek  their  fortune  in 
the  midst  of  the  uncertainties  and  dangers  of  colonial 
adventure  on  the  American  coast.  However,  by 
addressing  himself  energetically  to  the  task,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  raising  a  company  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  men,  over  whom  he  appointed  Mr.  John  White 
governor,  with  twelve  assistants.  These  he  got  in- 
corporated by  the  name  of  "  Governor  and  Assistants 
of  the  City  of  Raleigh  in  Virginia." 

On  the  8th  day  of  May,  1587,  this  new  colony 
set  sail  from  Plymouth,  in  England,  for  the  new 
world.  They  pursued  the  old  route  by  way  of  the 
West  Indies,  and  arrived  on  the  American  coast 
at  Cape  Hatteras  the  22d  of  July.  Raleigh  had 
given  them  orders  to  settle  upon  Chesapeake  Bay. 
But  the  pilot,  one  Simon  Ferdinando,  being  unaccom- 
modating and  obstinate,  refused  to  grant  the  neces- 
sary assistance  in  finding  the  place ;  and  he  is  sus- 
pected of  an  intention  to  ruin  the  enterprise,  if  it 
had  been  in  his  power.  But  his  nefarious  designs 
were  thwarted  through  the  vigilance  of  Captain 
Stafford. 

Upon  their  arrival  at  Cape  Hatteras,  Governor 
White,  with  forty  of  his  best  men,  went  ashore  for 
the  purpose  of  finding  the  fifteen  men  who  had  been 
left  there  by  Sir  Richard  Greenville  to  keep  posses- 
sion of  the  country. 


112  A    MISSING    COLONY. 

As  they  passed  over  the  island  towards  the  spot 
where  Roanoke  was  situated,  admiring  the  beauties 
of  nature,  and  cursorily  examining  various  plants, 
trees,  and  other  natural  objects  on  their  route,  they 
kept  a  careful  lookout  in  every  direction  for  either 
Englishmen  or  Indians,  in  hopes  of  learning  the 
condition  and  adventures  of  the  little  band  who  had 
been  left  the  sole  guardians  of  a  continent.  Silence 
reigned  supreme,  except  when  broken  by  the  songs 
of  birds,  or  the  rolling  of  the  surf  upon  the  shore. 
This  continued  stillness,  and  the  absence  of  human 
beings,  awakened  intense  solicitude,  for  it  was  upon 
this  island  where  the  little  colony  of  fifteen  had  been 
left.  Passing  along  with  their  steps  quickened  by 
their  anxiety,  they  finally  reached  the  northern  end 
of  the  island,  where  the  previous  governor,  Ralph 
Lane,  had  erected  a  fort,  and  a  number  of  dwelling 
houses.  Here  they  had  expected  to  find  the  little  band. 
But  the  appearance  of  the  place  at  once  blasted  all 
their  hopes,  and  convinced  them  that  some  fearful 
tragedy  had  been  enacted.  The  fort  was  destroyed  ; 
the  houses  were  in  a  dilapidated  condition  ;  the  lower 
parts  of  them,  the  ground  floors,  and  also  the  site 
of  the  fort,  were  overgrown  with  melons,  intermin- 
gled with  weeds,  amongst  which  wild  deer  were 
feeding.  To  cap  the  climax  of  their  fears,  tha 
bones  of  the  dead  were  found  there,  furnishing  evi- 
dence,   too    conclusive,    that     some    fearful    drama 


ARRIVAL    OF    SPICER.  113 

had  there  transpired.  "  So  we  returned  to  our 
company  without  hope  of  ever  seeing  any  of  the 
fifteen  men  living." 

Orders  were  immediately  given  by  Governor 
White  to  repair  the  houses  which  were  left,  and  to 
build  more  new  ones.  The  sound  of  the  saw  and 
the  hammer  was  now  heard,  and  life  and  activity 
were  again  in  the  ascendant  upon  Roanoke. 

On  the  25th  of  July,  the  Flyboat,  containing  a 
portion  of  the  planters  who  had  been  purposely  left 
behind  by  Ferdinando,  when  he  sailed  secretly  from 
the  Bay  of  Portugal,  arrived,  to  the  great  joy  of  the 
others.  As  the  captain  of  that  boat,  Edward  Spicer, 
had  never  been  to  Virginia,  it  was  Ferdinando's  ex- 
pectation that  he  would  be  unable  to  find  Roanoke, 
and  would  perish  in  the  attempt,  or  be  slain  by  sav- 
ages.     His  wickedness,  however,  was  defeated. 

Three  days  after  the  arrival  of  Spicer,  Mr.  George 
Howe,  one  of  the  twelve  assistants,  went  out  to  catch 
crabs.  He  had  no  other  weapon  than  a  small  forked 
stick,  which  he  used  in  taking  his  shell  fish.  Having 
stripped  himself  nearly  naked,  and  waded  in  the 
water  two  miles  from  his  company,  he  was  suddenly 
attacked  by  an  invisible  foe.  A  band  of  Indians, 
who  had  come  to  the  island  either  as  spies  to  dis-» 
cover  the  number  of  the  new  colony,  or  for  the  pur-j 
pose  of  hunting  the  deer  which  here  abounded,  saw" 
him  wading  in  an  unguarded  manner  along  the  shore, 
10* 


114  DEATH    BY    INVISIBLE    FOES. 

Concealing  themselves,  Indian-like,  among  the  high 
grass,  they  aimed  their  arrows  at  him  and  fired. 
He  fell,  pierced  with  sixteen  wounds.  They  then 
ran  to  him,  and  beat  his  head  in  pieces,  after  which 
they  took  to  their  canoes,  and  fled  to  the  main  land. 

On  the  30th  of  July,  Captain  Stafford,  with  twenty 
men,  passed  by  water  to  the  Island  of  Croatan. 
They  took  with  them  the  Indian  Manteo,  who,  as 
we  have  stated,  had  been  to  England,  and  had  ac- 
quired something  of  the  English  language.  It  ap- 
pears as  if  he  had  crossed  the  Atlantic  with  Governor 
White's  company,  and  if  so,  he  had  made  two  voy- 
ages to  England. 

As  on  the  Island  of  Croatan  the  mother  and  rel- 
atives of  Manteo  resided,  Governor  White  hoped 
that  there  he  might  gather  some  tidings  of  the  lost 
colony,  besides  learning  the  disposition  of  the  Indians 
towards  their  white  immigrants. 

At  their  first  landing  upon  Croatan  the  Indians 
assumed  a  warlike  attitude  towards  them.  But  when 
the  English  put  on  a  bold  front,  and  marched  with 
their  "shot  towards  them,"  they  fled.  But  when 
Manteo  raised  his  voice  and  called  after  them,  a  de- 
cided effect  was  produced.  They  paused  ;  threw 
away  their  weapons,  to  show  that  they  renounced 
their  belligerent  designs  ;  came  fearlessly  to  the  Eng- 
lish, and  embraced  them  in  a  cordial  manner.  They 
expressed   the    hope   that    their   visitors   would    not 


FATE    OF    THE    FIFTEEN.  115 

destroy  their  corn,  as  they  had  but  a  small  quantity 
left.  The  governor  assured  them  that  his  object 
was  not  to  injure  them,  but  to  renew  the  friendship 
which  had  previously  existed  between  them  and  the 
English,  and  to  live  with  them  as  brethren. 

Being  greatly  pleased  with  this  intelligence,  they 
invited  their  visitors  to  their  town,  where  they  feasted 
them,  according  to  the  rules  of  Indian  courtesy,  iu 
a  hospitable  manner. 

They  earnestly  desired  the  English  to  give  them 
some  article  as  a  badge  of  friendship,  so  that  when 
at  any  time  they  might  meet  the  colonists,  by  show- 
ing this  badge,  they  might  convince  them  that  they 
were  friends,  and  thus  escape  being  attacked.  For 
want  of  some  such  arrangement,  Governor  Lane's 
men  had,  at  different  times,  attacked  them,  under 
the  impression  that  they  were  enemies.  There  was 
one  among  them  then  who  had,  in  that  manner,  been 
wounded  by  mistake,  and  had  not  yet  recovered. 

The  next  day  a  formal  conference  was  held,  at 
which  the  English  were  informed  that  Mr.  Howe 
was  slain  by  the  remnant  of  Wingina's  men,  with 
whom  Wanchese  (who,  in  company  with  Manteo, 
had  been  to  England)  resided.  They  also  learned 
some  of  the  particulars  respecting  the  fate  of  the 
fifteen  men  —  that  they  had  been  suddenly  attacked 
by  thirty  natives  from  Secotan,  Aquascogoc,  and 
Dasamonguepeuk.     They  secreted  themselves  behind 


116  SKIRMISH    WITH    THE    NATIVES. 

the  trees  near  the  houses  where  the  men  carelessly 
lived,  "  and  having  perceived  that  of  those  fifteen 
they  could  see  hut  eleven  only,  two  of  those  savages 
appeared  to  the  eleven  Englishmen,  calling  to  them, 
by  friendly  signs,  that  hut  two  of  their  chiefest  men 
should  come  unarmed  to  speak  with  those  two  sav- 
ages, who  seemed  also  to  he  unarmed.  Wherefore 
two  of  the  chiefest  of  our  Englishmen  went  gladly 
to  them  ;  but  whilst  one  of  those  savages  traitorously 
embraced  one  of  our  men,  the  other,  with  his  sword 
of  wood,  which  he  had  secretly  under  his  mantel, 
struck  him  on  the  head  and  slew  him,  and  presently 
the  other  eight  and  twenty  savages  showed  them- 
selves ;  the  other  Englishman,  perceiving  this,  fled 
to  his  company,  whom  the  savages  pursued  with  their 
bows  and  arrows  so  fast,  that  the  Englishmen  were 
forced  to  take  the  house,  wherein  all  their  victual 
and  weapons  were  ;  but  the  savages  forthwith  set 
the  same  on  fire,  by  means  whereof  our  men  were 
forced  to  take  up  such  weapons  as  came  first  to 
hand,  and,  without  order,  to  run  forth  among  the 
savages,  with  whom  they  skirmished  above  an  hour. 
In  this  skirmish  another  of  our  men  was  shot  into 
the  mouth  with  an  arrow,  where  he  died  ;  and  also 
one  of  the  savages  was  shot  into  the  side  bv  one  of 
our  men  with  a  wildfire  arrow,  whereof  he  died 
presently.  The  place  where  they  fought  was  of 
great  advantage  to   the   savages,  by  means  of  the 


FATE    OF    THE    LOST    COLONY.  117 

thick  trees,  behind  which  the  savages,  through 
their  nimbleness,  defended  themselves,  and  so  of- 
fended our  men  with  their  arrows,  that  our  men, 
b^ing  some  of  them  hurt,  retired  fighting  to  the 
water  side,  where  their  boat  lay,  with  which  they 
fled  to  Hatorask.  By  that  time  they  had  rowed  hut 
a  quarter  of  a  mile,  they  espied  their  four  fellows 
coming  from  a  creek  thereby,  where  they  had  been 
to  fetch  oysters.  These  four  they  received  into 
their  boat,  leaving  Roanoke,  and  landed  on  a  little 
island  on  the  right  hand  of  our  entrance  into  the 
harbor  of  Hatorask,  where  they  remained  a  while, 
but  afterward  departed,  whither  as  yet  we  know  not." 

This  was  the  last  they  ever  learned  of  that  unfor- 
tunate band.  Whether  they  perished  at  sea  in  their 
attempt  to  escape,  or  were  slain  by  hostile  savages 
of  other  tribes,  was  never  known.  They  had  dis- 
appeared without  leaving  any  record  behind  them. 

Governor  White  made  an  attempt  to  obtain  an 
interview  with  the  chiefs  of  Secotan,  Aquascogoc, 
and  Pomeiok.  The  chief  of  Croatau  had  agreed  to 
carry  them  an  invitation  to  meet  the  English,  and 
to  return  with  their  answer  within  seven  days.  lie 
was  particularly  anxious  to  secure  this  conference, 
because  he  had  been  informed  by  the  people  of 
Croatan  that  the  remnant  of  Wingina's  men,  who 
had  killed  Mr.  Howe  and  had  driven  off  the  previous 
colony,  were  at  one  of  these  towns.     But  when  the 


118  A    SUDDEN    SUKPKISE. 

seven  days  haa  expired,  and  no  answer  was  received 
from  them,  the  governor  determined  to  visit  them 
at  their  own  encampments,  and  revenge  the  deaths 
of  those  whom  they  had  murdered. 

Accordingly,  on  the  8th  of  August,  at  midnight, 
he  left  Roanoke,  accompanied  by  Captain  Stafford, 
the  interpreter  Manteo,  and  twenty-three  others. 
After  crossing  the  water  and  landing,  the  men  pro- 
ceeded as  noiselessly  as  possible,  and  reached  the 
village  of  their  enemies  in  the  early  dawn.  Seeing 
a  fire,  and  a  number  of  the  savages  sitting  around 
it,  they  at  once  commenced  the  attack.  The  poor 
Indians,  struck  with  amazement,  sprang  to  their  feet, 
and  plunged  into  a  thicket  of  reeds  ;  the  English 
followed  them,  and  fired,  shooting  one  of  them 
through  the  body  with  a  bullet.  All  was  now  con- 
fusion. It  was  so  dark  that  the  women  could  not  be 
discerned  from  the  men.  But  before  the  fight  had 
proceeded  far,  the  important  discovery  was  made 
that  these  were  a  company  of  friendly  Indians,  and 
ought  not  to  have  been  attacked  at  all. 

The  enemies  of  the  whites,  whom  the  English 
had  expected  to  find  here,  fled  immediately  after 
they  had  killed  Mr.  Howe,  and  left  all  their  corn, 
pumpkins,  and  tobacco  in  the  fields  unprotected, 
where  it  would  soon  have  been  destroyed  by  tliG 
birds  and  wild  deer ;  and  these  Indians  had  come 
to  appropriate  it  to  themselves.  But  they  came 
near  paying  for  it  a  heavy  price. 


UNFORTUNATE    MISTAKE.  119 

One  of  the  squaws,  the  wife  of  a  chief,  had  a  nar- 
row escape.  She  was  pursued  by  the  English  urder 
the  impression  that  she  was  a  man ;  but  before  the 
fatal  blow  was  given,  they  discovered  that  she  had  a 
child  suspended  at  her  back,  by  which  their  erro- 
neous impression  was  corrected  and  her  life  spared. 
One  of  the  others,  an  Indian,  who  was  acquainted 
with  Captain  Stafford,  ran  to  him  during  the  fight, 
crying  out,  "  Stafford,  Stafford  !  "  by  which  he  indi- 
cated his  acquaintance  with  the  captain,  and  saved 
his  own  life. 

Manteo  was  greatly  grieved  at  the  mistake  which 
had  occurred,  by  which  these  friendly  Indians  were 
taken  for  enemies ;  but  he  attributed  it  to  their  own 
unfaithfulness,  telling  them  that  if  their  chiefs  had 
kept  their  promise,  and  visited  the  English  on  the 
day  which  they  had  designated,  this  catastrophe 
would   have   been   prevented. 

Being  disappointed  in  not  finding  those  whom 
they  sought,  the  English  gathered  all  the  corn,  peas, 
pompions,  and  tobacco  that  were  ripe,  and  taking 
with  them  the  savages  they  found  there,  amongst 
whom  was  the  wife  of  Menatoan,  with  her  child, 
they  returned  to  Roanoke. 

On  the  13th  of  August,  according  to  directions 
received  from  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  previous  to  leav- 
ing England,  the  Indian  interpreter,  Manteo,  wag 
christened,  and  at  the  same  time  "  invested  with  the 


120  THE    FIRST    ENGLISH    CHILD. 

rank  of  feudal  baron  as  Lord  of  Roanoke.  It  was 
the  first  peerage  erected  by  the  English  in  America." 

On  the  18th  of  the  same  month,  Mrs.  Elenor 
Dare,  the  daughter  of  the  governor,  and  wife  of  Mr. 
Ananias  Dare,  gave  birth  to  a  daughter.  This  was 
the  first  English  child  born  in  what  is  now  the  Unit- 
ed States.  She  was  called,  from  the  place  of  her 
birth,  Virginia  Dare. 

As  the  time  approached  for  the  vessels  to  leave 
for  England,  the  colonists  became  anxious  for  some 
one  of  the  assistants  to  return  also,  in  order  to  ob- 
tain more  supplies.  As  none  of  them  was  willing 
to  go  on  this  errand  but  one,  who  was  regarded  by 
them  all  as  a  very  unsuitable  person,  the  colonists 
unanimously  requested  the  governor  to  go  in  their 
behalf.  He  at  first  declined.  He  was  unwilling  to 
leave  them  amid  dangers  and  trials,  and  be  subjected 
at  home  to  the  suspicion  that  he  never  intended  to 
reside  himself  in  the  new  world,  but  merely  to  guide 
the  colony  there,  and  then  abandon  them  to  their 
fate.  But  after  earnest  persuasion,  and  being  abun- 
dantly protected  by  written  documents  stating  all 
the  facts  in  the  case,  he  left  Roanoke  on  the  27th 
of  August,  and  returned  to  England. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Spanish  Armada.  —  All  England  aroused.  —  Noble  Speech  of  tne 
Queen.  —  Splendid  Sight. — English  Stratagem.  —  Signal  De- 
feat. —  The  Armada  destroyed.  —  White's  Perseverance.  —  Suc- 
cess. —  Disappointment.  —  Great  Smoke,  but  no  People.  —  Fatal 
Accident.  —  A  musical  Call. — No  Response.  —  Significant  Let- 
ters, Croatan. —  Goods  dug  up.  —  Water  wanted.  —  Severe 
Weather.  —  Victuals  scarce.  —  Strange  Decision. — The  Colo- 
nists abandoned  to  their  Fate.  —  A  subsequent  Tradition  con- 
cerning them.  —  Its   Uncertainty.  —  Present  State  of  Roanoke. 

The  return  of  Governor  White  to  England,  in 
behalf  of  the  colony,  occurred  at  an  extremely  un- 
propitious  period.  The  whole  English  nation  were 
excited  by  an  expected  invasion  from  Spain,  and  all 
classes  were  engaged  in  making  preparations  to  re- 
pel from  their  shores  the  powerful,  yet  misnamed 
Invincible  Spanish  Armada.  This  consisted  of  a 
fleet  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  vessels,  some  of 
which  were  of  very  large  size,  carrying  two  thousand 
six  hundred  and  fifty  guns,  and  having  on  board  about 
twenty  thousand  soldiers,  eight  thousand  sailors,  and 
two  thousand  volunteers,  from  the  most  distinguished 
families  of  Spain. 

In  appearance  it  seemed  as  if  this  immense  fleet 
were  sufficient  to  annihilate  the  English  navy,  which, 
in  comparison  with  it,  was  very  small,  make  a  suc- 
cessful landing  upon  the  shores  of  England,  and, 
11 


122  THE    SPANISH    ARMADA. 

perhaps,  get  possession  of  London,  if  not  of  the 
queen. 

The  English  were  fully  aware  of  their  danger, 
and  were  bringing  into  requisition  all  "  the  sinews 
of  war  "  to  repel  it.  Private  merchants  furnished 
vessels  to  the  government  for  the  general  cause. 
The  nobility  were  ready  to  grant  the  loans  of 
money  which  their  queen  demanded.  Men  were 
every  where  enlisting  in  the  army  and  navy,  and  all 
were  ready  to  give  the  uninvited  Spaniards  a  warm 
reception. 

Queen  Elizabeth,  sensible  that  her  throne  and 
the  permanency  of  the  Protestant  reformation  were 
in  danger,  and  fully  aware  of  the  influence  which 
her  personal  presence  would  have  upon  her  army, 
appeared  on  horseback  in  the  camp,  and,  gracefully 
riding  along  the  lines  of  her  brave  soldiers,  she 
addressed  them,  and  encouraged  them  to  fidelity  to 
their  country  and  their  God,  declaring  "  that  she 
would  rather  perish  in  battle  than  survive  the  ruin 
and  slavery  of  her  people.  I  know,"  she  continued, 
intrepidly,  "  that  I  have  but  the  weak  and  feeble 
arm  of  a  woman ;  but  I  have  the  heart  of  a  king, 
and  of  a  king  of  England  too." 

By  this  spirited  conduct,  she  not  only  excited  the 
admiration  of  the  army,  but  aroused  their  enthusi- 
asm to  the  highest  degree.  Every  man  resolved  to 
die  rather  than  desert  his  post. 


A    MAGMFICENT    SCENE.  123 

When  the  Armada  was  first  discovered  approach- 
ing the  English  coast,  it  was  in  the  form  of  a  cres- 
cent, the  two  extremities  being  about  seven  miles 
apart,  and  presented  a  magnificent  appearance.  As 
it  sailed  up  the  British  Channel,  the  English  vessels 
attacked  it  in  the  rear,  and  gave  it  great  annoyance. 
When  it  anchored  off  Calais,  the  English  admiral, 
Lord  Howard,  resorted  to  a  stratagem.  He  took 
eight  of  his  small  class  vessels,  filled  them  with 
combustibles,  such  as  pitch,  sulphur,  &c,  set  them 
on  fire,  and  let  them  drive  before  the  wind  upon 
the  different  divisions  of  the  enemy.  When  the 
Spaniards  saw  these  flaming  vessels  coining  down 
upon  them,  they  were  filled  with  consternation. 
The  darkness  of  the  night,  the,  lurid  glare  of  the 
heavens,  the  bright  reflections  of  the  water,  and 
the  proximity  of  their  vigilant  and  cunning  enemy, 
defending  their  liberties  and  their  lives,  all  com- 
bined, rendered  the  scene  fearfully  terrific.  The 
pride  of  victory  and  the  joys  of  conquest,  by  the 
hope  of  which  they  had  been  stimulated  to  engage 
in  this  hazardous  undertaking,  were  soon  effectually 
destroyed.  A  panic  seized  the  whole  fleet,  and 
rendered  each  crew  anxious  only  for  their  own 
safety.  Some  of  the  vessels  weighed  their  anchors, 
and  escaped  with  order  from  their  perilous  position ; 
others  hastily  cut  their  cables,  and  were  driven 
before   the  wind.     In  the    darkness   and  confusion, 


1 

124  DEFEAT    OF    THE    SPANISH    ARMADA. 

some  of  them  came  violently  together  in  dreadful 
collision,  by  which  they  were  so  greatly  damaged 
as  to  be   unseawortby,   and  were  abandoned. 

When  the  glare  of  the  burning  vessels  gave 
place  to  the  dawning  of  the  morning,  the  English 
admiral  had  the  satisfaction  of  discovering  that  his 
midnight  stratagem  had  been  eminently  successful. 
The  vessels  of  the  Armada  were  in  great  confusion, 
and  were  widely  separated  from  each  other.  No 
time  was  lost,  on  the  part  of  the  English,  in  giving 
chase  to  the  scattered  Spaniards.  They  attacked 
them  simultaneously,  and  with  great  fury,  at  a 
number  of  different  points.  The  Spaniards  fought 
bravely,  but  without  success.  Some  of  their  vessels 
were  sunk,  others  were  driven  ashore  and  were  fast 
aground,  and  others  were  captured.  The  Invincible 
Armada  was  defeated  ! 

The  Spanish  admiral  now  attempted  to  return 
home  through  the  English  Channel,  with  the  rem- 
nant of  his  fleet ;  but  as  the  winds  were  contrary, 
and  the  enemy  troublesome,  he  found  this  imprac- 
ticable. He  was  therefore  compelled  to  go  in  the 
other  direction,  and  make  the  circuit  of  the  island. 
In  passing  by  the  Orkneys,  a  violent  tempest  arose, 
by  which  many  of  the  ships  were  rendered  unman- 
ageable, and  were  driven  upon  the  Western  Islands 
of  Scotland,  or  on  the  coast  of  Ireland,  where  they 
were    miserablv    wrecked.      Not    one    half   of    the 


THE    QUEEN'S    MEDAL.  125 

vessels,  and  a  still  smaller  proportion  of  the  men, 
ever  returned  to  Spain. 

All  England  was  filled  with  joy  at  this  signal 
victory,  by  which  they  obtained  a  glorious  deliver- 
ance from  impending  danger.  In  commemoration 
of  it,  Queen  Elizabeth  ordered  medals  to  be  struck 
with  this  motto,  Affiavit  Deus,  ct  dissipantur  — God 
blew  upon  them,  and  they  were  dispersed. 

We  have  given  an  account  of  this  great  naval 
conflict,  not  because  it  occurred  at  this  time,  and 
was  such  an  important  event  in  itself  considered, 
but  because  of  its  disastrous  influence  upon  the 
little  colony  at  Roanoke. 

Governor  White,  at  the  earnest  and  unanimous 
request  of  the  colonists,  had  returned  to  England  to 
obtain  assistance,  which  they  knew  would  be  greatly 
needed.  Upon  his  arrival,  he  found  those  from 
whom  he  had  hoped  to  obtain  the  necessary  aid 
sharing  in  the  general  excitement  arising  from  the 
expected  invasion.  Their  thoughts,  purposes,  and 
efforts  were  concentrated  upon  measures  of  defence. 
It  was  difficult  to  induce  them  to  consider  any  other 
subject. 

A  council  of  war  had  been  appointed  by  the 
queen  to  put  the  land  forces  into  the  best  posture 
of  defence.  This  was  an  important  and  responsible 
undertaking,  and  required  frequent  and  long  con- 
sultations. On  this  council  were  placed  three  of 
11* 


126  ROANOKE    NEGLECTED. 

those  who  had  been  the  most  deeply  interested  in 
the  settlement  of  Virginia  —  Sir  Walter  Raleigh, 
Sir  Richard  Greenville,  and  Ralph  Lane,  Esq.,  the 
late  governor  of  Virginia. 

So  deeply  were  they  engaged  in  planning  meas- 
ures for  the  defeat  of  the  approaching  Armada,  and 
preserving  the  liberties  of  the  nation,  that  they 
could  not  attend  to  the  claims  of  a  little  band  of 
settlers  three  thousand  miles  off. 

Governor  White,  however,  instead  of  being  dis- 
heartened, persevered  in  his  efforts  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  his  mission.  He  knew  the  condition 
in  which  he  had  left  the  colony  at  Roanoke  —+ 
their  limited  supply  of  provisions  ;  the  weakness  of 
their  means  of  defence ;  the  barbarous  nature  of 
the  Indians  who  surrounded  them,  and  the  anxiety 
with  which  they  would  wait  for  his  return.  He 
therefore  urged  the  matter  upon  the  attention  of 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh  with  such  importunity,  that 
when  the  council  of  war  had  fixed  upon  their  plan 
of  operations  for  the  reception  of  the  Spaniards,  Sir 
Walter  spent  his  leisure  in  providing  the  requisite 
supplies  for  Virginia. 

He  fitted  out  a  small  fleet,  and  placed  it  under 
the  command  of  Sir  Richard  Greenville.  Here  a 
new  difficulty  arose. 

So  great  was  the  alarm  occasioned  by  the 
expected   invasion    of   the    Armada,   that   an    order 


A    NEW    DIFFICULTY.  12? 

was  issued  from  the  British  government,  that  all 
ships  of  force,  then  in  any  readiness,  should  stay  in 
their  harbors  for  the  defence  of  their  own  country  ; 
and  Sir  Richard  Greenville  was  personally  com- 
manded not  to  depart  from  Cornwall,  where  Sir 
Walter  was  then  enlisting  and  training  forces  for 
the  war,  as  the  lieutenant  of  that  county. 

Notwithstanding  this  new  source  of  embarrass- 
ment, Governor  White  persevered  with  so  much 
assiduity  as  to  succeed  in  obtaining  two  small 
barks,  with  which  he  left  Biddeford  on  the  22d  of 
April,  1588.  These,  however,  proved  of  no  ser- 
vice ;  for  their  officers,  being  more  anxious  to  make 
profitable  voyages  than  to  relieve  the  suffering  col- 
ony, ran  in  chase  of  Spanish  prizes,  till  one  of 
them  fell  in  with  two  ships  of  the  enemy,  with 
whom  it  had  a  bloody  engagement,  and  by  whom 
it  was  conquered  and  rifled.  In  less  than  a  month 
from  the  time  the  vessel  left,  it  returned,  in  a  tat- 
tered and  maimed  condition,  to  relate  the  story  of 
its  defeat.  In  about  three  weeks  afterwards,  the 
other  returned  also,  perhaps  from  a  similar  cause, 
and  without  ever  having  reached  Virginia.  This 
sealed  the  fate  of  the  neglected  colony.  Sir  Wal- 
ter Raleigh  was  deej)ly  afflicted  and  displeased  at 
this  result ;  but  it  had  occurred,  and  now  there 
was  no  remedy. 

As  Sir  Walter  had  already  spent  a  hundred  and 


128  NEW  COMPANY  FORMED. 

twenty  thousand  dollars  upon  liis  American  col- 
onies, as  he  had  also  become  largely  interested  in 
the  planting  and  settling  of  certain  estates  in  Ire- 
land which  had  been  granted  to  him  by  the  govern- 
.nen',  and  as  he  was  one  of  the  foremost  of  the 
military  officers  in  carrying  on  the  war  against 
Spain,  he  came  to  the  conclusion  to  extend  to 
others  the  opportunity  of  using  the  privileges  of 
his  American  charter,  instead  of  making  any  further 
attempts  to  improve  them  himself. 

For  this  purpose,  a  company  was  formed,  em 
bracing  Thomas  Smith,  John  White,  Richard  Hak- 
luyt,  and  a  number  of1  others,  to  whom  Sir  Walter 
granted  the  right  to  make  settlements  in  Virginia, 
or  in  any  other  part  of  America  where  he  had  any 
interest  or  title. 

He  went  farther  than  this,  and  gave  them  one 
hundred  pounds,  to  be  spent  in  efforts  to  plant  the 
Christian  religion  among  the  benighted  savages  of 
that  distant  land. 

But  this  new  company  seem  not  to  have  pos- 
sessed the  enterprise  of  Raleigh.  Their  move- 
ments were  tardy  and  feeble.  They  allowed  anoth- 
er year  to  slip  by  before  any  new  colonists  were 
sent  forth.  It  was  not  till  March,  1593,  that  any 
thing  was  done  for  the  relief  of  the  neglected 
settlers  of  Roanoke.  At  that  time,  three  ships,  un- 
der the  direction  of  White,  set  sail  from  Plymoul 


SUPPLIES    AT    LkST.  129 

England,  and  on  the  3d  of  August,  they  arrived 
at  the  low,  sandy  island  west  of  Wococon.  When 
they  came  within  sight  of  Roanoke,  they  saw  a 
great  cloud  of  smoke  rising  from  that  island,  which 
they  supposed  was  made  by  the  colonists,  as  it 
arose  from  near  the  spot  where  Governor  White 
left  the  settlers  three  years  before.  The  shore  was 
carefully  examined  as  the  vessels  approached,  to 
discover,  if  possible,  some  of  the  colonists,  with 
whom  they  might  immediately  open  communica- 
tions, and  send  word  to  the  long-forsaken  and 
disconsolate  company,  that  friends,  supplies,  and 
fresh  recruits  had  at  last  arrived  to  gladden  their 
hearts  and  strengthen  their  hands  in  their  dreary 
solitude.  But  no  human  being  was  seen.  The 
smoke  kept  rising  up  like  a  great  column,  as  if  it 
were  a  signal  to  them,  informing  them  of  the 
location  of  those  whom  they  sought. 

On  the  evening  of  the  15th  of  August,  they 
anchored  off  Hatorask,  and  on  the  16th,  Captains 
Cook  and  Spicer,  with  two  boats  manned,  went 
ashore  at  Roanoke  to  communicate  the  joyful  intel- 
ligence of  their  arrival.  We  shall  let  Governor 
White,  who  was  with  the  exploring  company  that 
landed,  relate  the  adventures  in  his  own  language. 
His  statement  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  At  our  putting  from  the  ship,  we  commanded 
our  master  gunner  to  make  ready  two  minions  and 


4 

130  GREAT  SMOKE  SEEN. 

a  falcon,  well  loaden,  and  to  shoot  them  off,  with 
reasonable  space  between  every  shot,  to  the  end 
that  their  reports  might  be  heard  to  the  place 
where  we  hoped  to  find  some  of  our  people.  This 
was  accordingly  performed,  and  our  two  boats  put 
off  unto  the  shore.  In  the  admiral's  boat  we 
sounded  all  the  way,  and  found  from  our  ship  until 
we  came  within  a  mile  of  the  shore,  nine,  eight, 
and  seven  fadome  ;  but  before  we  were  half  way 
between  our  ships  and  the  shore,  we  saw  anoth- 
er great  smoke  to  the  south-west  of  Kindrikers 
Mounts ;  we  therefore  thought  good  to  go  to  that 
second  smoke  first.  But  it  was  much  further  from 
the  harbor  where  we  landed  than  we  supposed  it 
to  be,  so  that  we  were  very  sore  tired  before  we 
come  to  the  smoke.  But  that  which  grieved  us 
more  was,  that  when  we  came  to  the  smoke,  we 
found  no  man,  nor  sign  that  any  had  been  there 
lately,  nor  yet  any  fresh  water  in  all  this  way  to 
drink.  Being  thus  wearied  with  this  journey,  we 
returned  to  the  harbor,  where  we  left  our  boats, 
who  in  our  absence  had  brought  their  cask  ashore 
for  fresh  water;  so  we  deferred  our  going  to  Ro- 
anoke until  the  next  morning,  and  caused  some  of 
those  sailors  to  dig  in  those  sandy  hills  for  fresh 
water,  whereof  we  found  very  sufficient.  That 
night  we  returned  aboard  with  our  boats  and  our 
who'e  company  in  safety. 


DANGEROUS    LANDING.  131 

«'  The  next  morning,  being  tiie  17th  of  August, 
our  boats  and  company  were  prepared  again  to  go 
up  to  Roanoke  ;  but  Captain  Spicer  had  then  sent 
his  boat  ashore  for  fresh  water,  by  means  whereof 
it  was  ten  of  the  clock,  aforenoon,  before  we  put 
from  our  ships,  which  were  then  come  to  an  anchor 
within  two  miles  of  the  shore.  The  admiral's  boat 
was  half  way  toward  the  shore,  when  Captain 
Spicer  put  off  from  his  ship.  The  admiral's  boat 
first  past  the  beach,  but  not  without  some  danger 
of  sinking;  for  we  had  a  sea  break  into  our  boat 
which  filled  us  half  full  of  water;  but,  by  the  will 
of  God  and  careful  steerage  of  Captain  Cook,  we 
came  safe  ashore,  saving  only  that  our  furniture, 
victuals,  match,  and  powder  were  much  wet  and 
spoiled.  For  at  this  time  the  wind  blew  at  north- 
east, and  direct  into  the  harbor  so  great  a  gale, 
that  the  sea  breake  extremely  on  the  bar,  and  the 
tide  went  very  forcibly  at  the  entrance.  By  that 
time  our  admiral's  boat  was  hauled  ashore,  and 
most  of  our  things  taken  out  to  dry.  Captain 
Spicer  came  to  the  entrance  of  the  breach  with  his 
mast  standing  up,  and  was  half  passed  over,  but 
by  the  rash  and  indiscreet  steerage  of  Ralph  Skin- 
ner, his  master's  mate,  a  very  dangerous  sea  break 
into  their  boat,  and  overset  them  quite.  The  men 
kept  the  boat,  some  in  it,  and  some  hanging  on  it. 
but  the  next  sea  set  the   boat   on    ground,  where  it 


liW  BOAT    WRECKED. LIVES    LOST. 

beat  so  that  some  of  them  were  forced  to  let  go 
their  hold,  hoping  to  wade  ashore  ;  but  the  sea 
still  beat  them  down,  so  that  they  could  neither 
stand  nor  swim,  and  the  boat,  twice  or  thrice,  was 
turned  the  keel  upward,  whereon  Captainr  Spicer 
and  Skinner  hung  until  they  sunk  and  were  seen 
no  more.  But  four,  that  could  swim  a  little,  kept 
themselves  in  deeper  water,  and  were  saved  by 
Captain  Cook's  means,  who,  so  soon  as  he  saw 
their  oversetting,  stripped  himself,  and  four  other 
that  could  swim  very  well,  and  with  all  haste  pos- 
sible, rowed  unto  them,  and  saved  four.  They 
were  eleven  in  all,  and  seven  of  the  chiefest  were 
drowned,  whose  names  were  Edward  Spicer,  Ralph 
Skinner,  Edward  Kelly,  Thomas  Bevis,  Hance,  the 
surgeon,  Edward  Kel borne,  Robert  Coleman.  This 
mischance  did  so  much  discomfort  the  sailors,  that 
they  were  all  of  one  mind  not  to  goe  any  farther  to 
seek  the  planters.  But  in  the  end,  by  the  com- 
mandment and  persuasion  of  me  and  Captain  Cook, 
they  prepared  the  boats  ;  and  seeing  the  captain 
and  me  so  resolute,  they  seemed  much  more  willing. 
Our  boats  and  all  things  fitted  again,  we  put  oft* 
from  Hatorask,  being  the  number  of  nineteen  per- 
sons in  both  boats ;  but  before  we  could  get  to  the 
place  where  our  planters  were  left,  it  was  so  ex- 
ceeding dark,  that  we  overshot  the  place  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  ;  there  we   espied,  towards  the  north  end 


A    CALL,    BUT    NO    ANSWER.  1.33 

Df  the  island,  the  light  of  a  great  fire  through  the 
woods,  to  the  which  we  presently  rowed.  When 
we  came  right  over  against  it,  we  let  fall  our  grap- 
nel near  the  shore,  and  sounded  with  a  trumpet  a 
call,  and  afterwards  many  familiar  English  tunes 
of  songs,  and  called  to  them  friendly ;  but  we  had 
no  answer ;  we  therefore  landed  at  daybreak,  and 
coming  to  the  fire,  we  found  the  grass  and  sundry 
rotten  trees  burning  about  the  place.  From  hence 
we  went  through  the  woods  to  that  part  of  the 
island  directly  over  against  Dasamongwepeuk,  and 
from  thence  we  returned  by  the  water  side,  round 
about  the  north  point  of  the  island,  until  we  came 
to  the  place  where  I  left  our  colony  in  the  year 
1586.  In  all  this  way,  we  saw,  in  the  sand,  the 
print  of  the  savages'  feet,  of  two  or  three  sorts, 
trodden  the  night ;  and  as  we  entered  up  the  sandy 
bank,  upon  a  tree,  in  the  very  brow  thereof,  were 
curiously  carved  these  fair  Roman  letters,  CRO; 
which  letters  presently  we  knew  to  signify  the 
place  where  I  should  find  the  planters  seated,  ac- 
cording to  a  secret  token  agreed  upon  between 
them  and  me,  at  my  last  departure  from  them, 
which  was,  that  in  any  ways  they  should  not  fail 
to  write,  or  carve  on  the  trees  or  posts  of  the  doors, 
the  name  of  the  place  where  they  should  be 
seated  ;  for  at  my  coming  alway,  they  were  pre- 
pared to  remove  from  Roanoke  fifty  miles  into  the 
12 


134  ROANOKE    ABANDONED. 

main.  Therefore,  at  my  departure  from  them  in 
an.  1587,  I  willed  them,  that  if  they  should  happen 
to  be  distressed  in  any  of  those  places,  that  then 
they  should  carve  over  the  letters  or  name  a  cross 
-j-  in  this  form  ;  but  we  found  no  such  sign  of 
distress.  And  having  well  considered  of  this,  we 
passed  toward  the  place  where  they  were  left  in 
sundry  houses  ;  but  we  found  the  houses  taken 
down,  and  the  place  very  strongly  enclosed  with  a 
high  palisado  of  great  trees,  with  cortynes  and 
flankers,  very  fort-like,  and  one  of  the  chief  trees 
or  posts  at  the  right  side  of  the  entrance  had  the 
bark  taken  off,  and  five  foot  from  the  ground,  in 
fair  capital  letters,  was  graven  CROATOAN,  with- 
out any  cross  or  sign  of  distress  ;  this  done,  we 
entered  into  the  palisado,  where  we  found  many 
bars  of  iron,  two  pigs  of  lead,  four  iron  fowlers, 
iron  sacker-shot  and  such  like  heavy  things,  thrown 
in  here  and  there,  almost  overgrown  with  grass 
and  weeds.  From  thence,  we  went  along  by  the 
water  side  towards  the  point  of  the  creek,  to  see 
if  we  could  find  any  of  their  boats  or  pinnace  ; 
but  we  could  perceive  no  sign  of  them,  nor  any  of 
the  last  falcons  and  small  ordinance  which  were  left 
with  them  at  my  departure  from  them.  At  our 
return  from  the  creek,  some  of  our  sailors,  meeting 
us,  told  us,  that  they  had  found  where  divers  chests 
had  been  hidden   and  long   since  digged  up  again 


BURIED    GOODS    DUG    UP. 


135 


and  broken  up,  and  much  of  the  goods  in  them 
spoiled  and  scattered  about,  but  nothing  left  of 
such  things  as  the  savages  knew  any  use  of  un de- 
faced. Presently,  Captain  Cook  and  I  went  to  the 
place,  which  was  in  the  end  of  an  old  trench  made 
two  years  past  by  Captain  Atnidas,  where  we  found 
five  chests  that  had  been  carefully  hidden  of  the 
planters,  and  of  the  same  chests,  three  were  my 
own,  and  about  the  place  many  of  my  things, 
spoiled   and   broken,    and   my  books  torn  from  the 


Finding  Goods. 


covers,  the    frames    of   some   of   my    pictures    and 
maps  rotten  and   spoiled  with  rain,  and  my  artnoi 


13G  WATEK    ABANDONED. 

almost  eaten  through  with  rust.  This  could  be  no 
other  but  the  deed  of  the  savages,  our  enemies  at 
Dasamongwepeuk,  who  had  watched  the  departure 
of  our  men  to  Croatoan  ;  and  as  soon  as  they  were 
departed,  digged  up  every  place  where  they  sus- 
pected any  thing  to  be  buried  ;  but  although  it 
much  grieved  me  to  see  such  spoil  of  my  goods, 
yet,  on  the  other  side,  I  greatly  joyed  that  I  had 
safely  found  a  certain  token  of  their  safe  being  at 
Croatoan,  which  is  the  place  where  Manteo  was 
born,  and  the   savages  of   the  island   our  friends. 

"  When  we  had  seen  in  this  place  so  much  as  we 
could,  we  returned  to  our  boats,  and  departed  from 
the  shore  towards  our  ships  with  as  much  speed  as 
we  could,  for  the  weather  began  to  overcast,  and 
very  likely  that  a  foul  and  stormy  night  would 
ensue.  Therefore  the  same  evening,  with  much 
danger  and  labor,  we  got  ourselves  aboard,  by 
which  time  the  wind  and  seas  were  so  greatly 
risen,  that  we  doubted  our  cables  and  anchors 
would  scarcely  hold  until  morning.  Wherefore  the 
captain  caused  the  boat  to  be  manned  with  five 
lusty  men,  who  could  swim  all  well,  and  sent  them 
(6  the  little  island  on  the  right  hand  of  the  harbor, 
to  bring  aboard  six  of  our  men  who  had  filled  our 
cask  with  fresh  water.  The  boat  the  same  night 
returned  aboard  with  our  men,  but  all  our  casks 
ready  filled  they  left   behind,   unpossible  to   be  had 


BAD    WEATHER    AND    SCARCE    VICTUALS.        137 

aboard  without  danger  of  casting  away  both  men 
and  boats ;  for  this  night  proved  very  stormy  and 
foul. 

"  The  next  morning,  it  was  agreed  by  the  cap- 
tain and  myself,  with  the  master  and  others,  to 
weigh  anchor  and  go  for  the  place  at  Croatoan, 
where  our  planters  were,  for  that  then  the  wind 
was  good  for  that  place,  and  also  to  leave  that 
cask  with  fresh  water  on  shore  in  the  island  till 
our  return.  So  then  they  brought  the  cable  to 
the  capstan ;  but  when  the  anchor  was  almost 
apeak,  the  cable  broke,  by  means  whereof  we  lost 
another  anchor,  wherewith  we  drove  so  fast  into 
the  shore,  that  we  were  forced  to  let  fall  a  third 
anchor,  which  came  so  fast  home,  that  the  ship 
was  almost  aground  by  Kenrics'  Mounts,  so  that 
we  were  forced  to  let  slip  the  cable,  end  for  end. 
And  if  it  had  not  chanced  that  we  had  fallen  into 
a  channel  of  deeper  water,  closer  by  the  shore  than 
we  accounted  of,  we  could  never  have  gone  clear 
of  the  point  that  lyeth  to  the  southward  of  Ken- 
rick's  Mounts.  Being  thus  clear  of  some  dangers, 
and  gotten  into  deeper  waters,  but  not  without 
some  loss,  for  we  had  but  one  cable  and  anch* 
left  us  of  four,  and  the  weather  grew  to  be  foule* 
and  fouler,  our  victuals  scarce,  and  our  cask  and 
fresh  water  lost,  it  was  therefore  determined  that 
we  should  go  for  St.  John  or  some  other  island  to 
12* 


138  UNFORTLTNATE    DECISION. 

the  southward  for  fresh  water ;  and  it  was  farther 
purposed,  that  if  we  could  any  ways  supply  our 
wants  of  victuals  and  other  necessaries,  either  at 
Hispaniola,  St.  John,  or  Trinidad,  that  then  Ave 
should  continue  in  the  Indies  all  the  winter  follow- 
ing, with  hope  to  make  two  rich  voyages  of  one, 
and  at  our  return  to  visit  our  countrvmen  at  Vir- 
ginia.  The  captain  and  the  whole  company  in 
the  admiral  (with  my  earnest  petitions)  thereunto 
agreed,  so  that  it  rested  only  to  know  what  the 
master  of  the  Moonlight,  our  consort,  would  do 
herein.  But  when  we  demanded  them  if  they 
would  accompany  us  in  that  new  determination, 
they  alledged  that  their  weak  and  leak  ship  was 
not  ahle  to  continue  it  ;  wherefore  the  same  night 
we  parted,  leaving  the  Moonlight  to  go  directly  for 
England,  and  the  admiral  set  his  course  for  Trin- 
idad." 

Such  is  the  account,  as  given  by  one  of  the 
prominent  actors  on  the  occasion,  and  who,  in 
consequence  of  having  been  the  governor  of  the 
colony  which  had  been  left  in  Virginia,  would  be 
likely  to  give  as  strong  a  defence  of  the  course 
pursued  by  these  visiting  vessels  as  it  would  hear. 
And  yet  the  final  decision  of  this  company,  who 
had  been  sent  out  on  purpose  to  find  and  relieve 
the  long-neglected  settlers,  awakens  within  us  great 
surprise. 


COLONISTS    LEFT    TO    THEIR    FATE.  139 

In  August,  1587,  the  colony  which  had  landed 
upon  the  -American  shores  for  the  purpose  of  found- 
ing "  the  city  of  Raleigh,"  consisted  of  eighty-nine 
men,  seventeen  women,  and  two  children.  One  of 
the  women  was  Governor  White's  own  daughter, 
and  one  of  the  children  was  his  grandchild,  born  in 
the  land,  and  called  Virginia  Dare.  They  had 
been  left  in  the  midst  of  savages,  some  of  whom 
were  deadly  hostile,  whilst  others,  professing  to  be 
friendly,  might  have  been  deceitful,  or  might  easily 
have  had  their  friendship  converted  into  hatred  and 
enmity.  In  addition  to  these  perils,  they  were 
unsupplied  with  suitable  dwellings,  and  possessed 
but  a  small  amount  of  provisions.  At  their  earnest 
and  unanimous  desire,  Governor  White  returned  to 
England  to  obtain  supplies  as  speedily  as  possible. 
Yet  three  years  passed  away  before  he  returned.  And 
when  he  came  back,  bringing  with  him  what  he 
must  have  supposed  would  be  very  acceptable  sup- 
plies and  very  joyful  intelligence,  finding  them 
absent  from  Roanoke,  and  marks  indicating  that 
they  had  gone  to  Croatan,  an  Indian  town  on  the 
south  part  of  Cape  Lookout,  instead  of  pushing  on 
to  the  latter  place  to  learn  the  condition  of  his 
countrymen  and  of  his  own  daughter,  or  instead  of 
seeking  the  natives,  to  ascertain  from  them  what 
intelligence  they  could  impart  respecting  the  em- 
grants,   he    turns    the    prow    of    his    vessels,    and 


140      TRADITION    RESPECTING    THE    LOST    COLONY. 

abandons  the  settlers  to  their  fate.  These  colonists, 
who  were  to  have  built  "  tiie  city  of  Raleigh," 
were  never  heard  of  again  !  They  were  inex- 
cusably neglected  and  abandoned.  It  is  left  for 
the  imagination  to  picture  their  bitter  experience, 
their  fears,  their  anxieties,  their  hopes  of  relief  fol- 
lowed by  painful  disappointment,  their  conflicts 
with  hunger,  with  the  elements,  with  the  climate, 
with  disease,  and  with  the  barbarous  savages,  and 
finally,  perhaps  their  lingering  captivities,  or  their 
horrid   deaths. 

It  is  somewhat  singular,  considering  their  number, 
and  the  fact  that  the  country  was  repeatedly  visited, 
that  no  further  trace  of  these  colonists  was  ever 
found. 

Sir  Walter  Raleigh  sent  out  five  expeditions  in 
pursuit  of  them,  but  they  could  learn  nothing  con- 
cerning them.  A  tradition  afterwards  was  found 
to  exist  among  the  Hatteras  Indians,  that,  being 
discouraged  by  their  long  neglect  at  home,  they 
finally  took  up  their  abode  among  them,  and  in 
process  of  time  were  amalgamated  with  them. 
The  wigwams  of  the  Indians  furnished  them  with 
homes,  and  Indian   damsels   became  their    wives. 

This  tradition  is  supposed  to  receive  confirmatioi 
from  the  physical  character  of  the  tribe,  in  which 
the  English  and  the  Indian  traits  appear  to  be 
blended.       But     of    this     there     is     no     certainty 


ROANOKE    AT    PRESENT.  141 

Oblivion  has  drawn  an  impenetrable  veil  ovei  their 
final  history. 

Thus  sadly  terminated  the  early  efforts  to  es- 
tablish a  colony  upon  Roanoke.  At  the  present 
time,  this  island  is  nearly  destitute  of  inhabitants. 
Intrepid  pilots  and  fearless  wreckers,  in  whose  ear 
the  roaring  winds  and  the  rolling  surf  make  sweet 
harmony,  are  the  only  occupants  of  the  classic 
spot,  where  English  graves  were  first  dug,  and 
English  settlements  first  attempted,  upon  the  soil 
of  the  United  States.  The  indistinct  ruins  of  the 
old  fort,  which  still  exist,  fjrnish  the  only  mon- 
ument of  their  enterprise  and  their  sorrows. 


CHAPTER     XII. 

The  two  Companies.  —  The  obnoxious  Charter.  —  Divine  ProvJ. 
dence  controlling  Nations. — Rev.  Mr.  Hunt. — His  Troubles 
and  Perseverance.  —  The  Missionary  Spirit. —  Hot  Springs.— 
Numerous  Birds.  —  Captain  John  Smith.  —  His  Popularity.— 
His  Imprisonment.  —  The  two  Capes.  —  The  Landing.  —  At- 
tack of  the  Savages.  —  Their  Repulse.  —  Oysters.  —  Flowers.— 
Strawberries.  —  Point  Comfort.  —  The  Sealed  Box. —  Anxiety 
to  open  it.  —  Its  Contents.  —  The  Officers  of  the  Colony.— 
Explanations.  —  A  Place  for  a  Settlement. 

After  the  unaccountable  disappearance  of  the 
colonists  at  Roanoke,  all  efforts  for  the  settlement 
of  the  country  were  suspended  for  twelve  years.  At 
the  end  of  this  period  attempts  began  to  be  renewed. 
Several  expeditions  were  fitted  out  to  visit  the  new 
world  for  purposes  of  discovery  and  commercial  en- 
terprise. But  nothing  permanent  was  effected  until 
1606,  when,  through  the  earnest  and  long-continued 
efforts  of  Captain  Bartholomew  Gosnold,  a  company 
was  formed  and  a  charter  obtained  for  the  purpose 
of  planting  a  settlement  in  Virginia. 

Among  the  prominent  men  of  this  company  were 
Sir  Thomas  Gates,  Sir  George  Somers,  Richard 
Hackluyt,  clerk,  Edward  Maria  Wingfield,  and  Rev. 
Robert  Hunt.  These,  with  their  coadjutors,  consti- 
tuted what  was  called  the  southern  company,  to 
distinguish   them   from  another,  called  the  northern 


the  king's  jealousy.  143 

company.  By  the  charter,  which  was  granted  to 
these  two  companies,  all  that  part  of  America  em- 
braced within  the  latitudes  from  thirty-four  to  forty- 
five  degrees  north  of  the  equator  was  divided  into 
two  parts,  and  to  the  southern  or  London  company 
was  granted  the  privilege  of  establishing  a  settlement 
any  where  between  the  degrees  of  thirty-four  and 
forty-one.  The  other,  sometimes  called  the  Plym- 
outh company,  were  allowed  to  colonize  any  where 
between  thirty-eight  and  forty-five  degrees,  provided 
there  should  be  at  least  a  hundred  miles  between 
the  two  settlements,  for  each  was  permitted  to  ex- 
tend fifty  miles  along  the  coast  in  each  direction. 

The  charter  which  the  king  granted  to  the  colo- 
nists was  far  from  being  liberal  in  its  character,  and 
contained  two  provisions  which  showed  the  jealous 
regard  of  the  king  for  his  own  prerogatives,  and 
which  must  have  been  extremely  repulsive  to  the 
colonists.  The  first  was  the  appointment  of  a  coun- 
cil by  the  king,  who  were  to  be  residents  in  England, 
and  were  to  have  the  whole  control  of  colonial  af- 
fairs. They  were  to  hold  their  office  only  so  long 
as  the  king  pleased  ;  the  other  provision  was  the 
appointment  of  local  councils,  who  were  to  be  resi- 
dents in  the  colonies,  and  who  were  to  have  the 
immediate  oversight  of  affairs,  but  who  were  to  be 
subject  to  the  home  council  in  England.  These 
also,  like  the  former,  were  to  be  designated  by  the 


144        NATIONS    CONTROLLED    BT    PROVIDENCE. 

king.  The  jealous  monarch  reserved  to  himself 
authority  to  control  the  legislation  of  the  colonies, 
in  their  minute  as  well  as  their  more  important  mat- 
ters—  an  arrangement  which,  as  might  have  been 
foreseen,  was  a  source  of  great  irritation  to  the  col 
onies,  and  tended  to  alienate  them  from  their  "  father 
land." 

Obnoxious  arrangements  like  these  were  the  seedJ 
of  the  American  revolution  and  of  our  national  in- 
dependence. It  is  interesting  to  observe  how  the 
despotic  elements  which  were  intermingled  with 
our  colonial  institutions  and  laws  were  the  means, 
ultimately,  of  working  out  the  great  problem  of 
national  freedom.  The  Ruler  of  nations,  in  over- 
seeing the  beginnings  of  our  history,  allowed  "  thb 
wrath  of  man  "  to  throw  in  influences  from  which 
at  a  later  period,  He  would  reap  to  himself  a  reve 
nue  of  praise  in  the  reaction  of  those  influences  by 
which  would  be  overthrown  the  institutions  thev 
were  originally  designed  to  support,  and  others  of  a 
different  character  established  in  their  place. 

It  is  equally  true  of  nations  as  of  men,  that  they 
are  under  the  control  of  an  all-wise,  overruling  Prov- 
idence ;  that  they  know  not  to  what  results  their 
own  measures  will  lead  ;  that  whilst  their  "  hearts 
devise  their  way,  the  Lord  directed)  their  steps." 
This  truth  received  a  very  significant  illustration  in 
the  history  of  the  American  colonies. 


TROUBLES    OF    REV.    MR.    HUNT.  145 

Notwithstanding  the  despotic  provisions  of  the 
charter,  it  was  adopted,  and  arrangements  were  made 
to  plant  settlements.  The  company  which  was 
formed  for  that  purpose  provided  two  ships,  one  of 
a  hundred  tons,  the  other  of  only  forty  ;  to  these 
were  added  a  pinnace  of  only  twenty  tons.  To  this 
small  fleet  of  very  small  vessels,  the  transportation 
of  the  colony  was  committed,  under  the  direction  of 
Captain  Christopher  Newport. 

Before  they  left  England,  the  orders  of  the  king's 
council  were  given  them  in  a  sealed  box,  which  they 
were  strictly  forbidden  to  open  until  they  arrived  in 
Virginia. 

On  the  19th  of  December,  1606,  the  fleet  left 
England,  conveying  another  colony  of  one  hundred 
and  five  to  Virginia,  amongst  whom  were  Wingfield, 
Bartholomew  Gosnold,  John  Smith,  Robert  Hunt, 
preacher,  George  Percy,  and  John  Ratcliffe. 

They  had  scarcely  left  port  before  they  were  met 
by  head  winds,  by  which  they  were  kept  within  sight 
of  England  for  six  weeks.  During  this  period,  Rev 
Mr.  Hunt,  their  minister,  was  so  seriously  sick,  that 
at  times  his  recovery  was  regarded  as  exceedingly 
doubtful.  To  add  to  his  troubles,  some  of  the  com- 
pany, who  were  little  better  than  atheists,  cast  unjust 
imputations  upon  him.  Yet,  although  some  of  the 
time,  when  in  the  Downs,  he  was  but  twenty  miles 
from  home,  neither  his  severe  sickness  nor  his  unde- 
13 


146  THE    MISSI0NAR1    £T  ZI.IENT. 

served  censures  were  suffi-  ient  to  induce  him  to 
abandon  the  enterprise.  Binj  a  minister  of  Christ, 
we  may  suppose  that  he  was  acluated  by  a  missionary 
spirit,  and  was  anxious  to  d'jseminate  the  truths  of 
religion  among  the  barber- jus  natives  of  Virginia. 
For  one  object  of  King  ^?;nes  in  approving  of  this 
enterprise,  as  specified  in  the  charter,  dated  April  10, 
1690,  which  he  gave  them,  was  that,  by  the  provi- 
dence of  God,  "  so  nonle  a  work  might  hereafter 
tend  to  the  glory  of  his  divine  Majestv,  in  propagat- 
ing of  Christian  religion  to  such  people  as  yet  live 
in  darkness  and  miserable  ignorance  of  the  true 
knowledge  and  worship  of  God,  and  may,  in  time, 
bring  the  infidels  and  savages  living  in  those  parte 
to  human  civility,  and  to  a  settled  and  quiet  gov 
eminent." 

And  in  the  instruction  which  he  gave  to  the  "king's 
council,"  who  were  to  superintend  the  affairs  of  the 
colony,  under  date  of  November  20,  1606,  occurs  the 
following  order  :  "  That  the  true  word  and  service 
of  God  be  preached,  planted,  and  used,  not  only  in 
the  said  colonies,  but  also,  as  much  as  might  be, 
among  the  savages  bordering  upon  them,  according 
to  the  rites  and  doctrine  of  the  church  of  England." 

As,  therefore,  one  object  of  this  enterprise  was 
the  dissemination  of  the  Christian  religion  among 
the  rude  and  ignorant  aborigines,  nothing  could  deter 

O  O  O 

Mr.  Hunt,  the  clergyman  of  the  company,  from  per 


A    NATURAL    SPRING. 


147 


severing  in  the  benevolent  work  which  he  had  under- 
taken. It  was  well  for  the  colonists  that  he  resolved 
not  to  leave  them,  for  "  so  many  discontents  did  then 
arise  that  had  he  not  with  the  water  of  patience,  and 
godly  exhortations,  (but  chiefly  by  his  true  devoted 
examples,)  quenched  those  flames  of  envy  and 
dissension,"  the  expedition  might  have  proved  a 
failure. 


Cooking  over  a  natural  Spring. 


They  pursued  the  old  and  tedious  route  by  way 
of  the  West  Indies  ;  they  stopped  to  take  in  water 
at  the  Canary  Islands  ;  at  Dominico  they  opened 
trade  with  the  savages ;  at  Guadaloupe  they  found  a 
spring,  the    water    of  which  was   so    hot   that  they 


148  CAPTAIN    SMITH    IMPRISONED. 

boiled  pork  in  it  as  well  as  over  fire ;  and  on  a  smal 
island  called  Monica  they  took  from  the  hushes 
such  great  quantities  of  birds  with  their  hands  as  to 
fill  nearly  two  hogsheads  in  three  or  four  hours.  In 
Mcvis,  Mona,  and  the  Virgin  Isles  they  spent  some 
time,  where  they  fared  well,  being  daily  feasted  upon 
tortoises,  pelicans,  parrots,  fishes,  and,  as  Captain 
Smith  describes  it,  "  a  loathsome  beast,  like  a  croc- 
odile, called  a  gwayn." 

Captain  John  Smith,  a  man  of  much  experience, 
and  who  had  passed  through  a  variety  of  novel  and 
perilous  adventures  prior  to  his  engaging  in  this  at- 
tempt to  found  colonies  in  America,  had  become 
quite  popular  with  the  emigrants  with  whom  he 
sailed.  His  popularity  and  influence  excited  the 
envy  of  the  other  leaders  of  the  enterprise,  who  soon 
originated  the  unreasonable  report  that  it  was  Smith's 
design  to  murder  the  council,  usurp  the  government, 
and  make  himself  king  of  Virginia ;  and  that  this 
could  be  proved  by  the  confederates  leagued  with 
him,  who  were  scattered  in  the  three  different  ves- 
sels of  the  fleet.  Smith,  being  a  man  of  inde- 
pendent spirit,  and  conscious  of  innocence,  took  no 
pains  to  rebut  these  charges  and  conciliate  his  ene- 
mies. The  consequence  was,  that  when  they  arrived 
at  the  Canaries,  the  quarrel  became  so  serious  that 
Smith  was  seized,  imprisoned,  and  kept  in  close  con- 
finement thirteen  weeks. 


FIRST    LAND    MADE.  149 

As  they  pursued  their  voyage  towards  the  coast 
of  America,  they  found  that  they  had  passed  their 
reckoning  by  three  dav,s  without  finding  land.  This 
fact  greatly  disheartened  the  colonists,  and  even 
moved  Captain  Ratcliffe,  commander  of  the  pinnace, 
to  propose  that  they  should  give  up  the  enterprise, 
and  return  to  England.  But  a  violent  storm  arose, 
and,  contrary  to  all  expectation,  drove  them  to  their 
desired  port. 

The  first  land  they  made  they  called,  in  honor  of 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  Cape  Henry ;  the  opposite 
cape  on  the  north  they  named  Cape  Charles,  after 
the  Duke  of  York,  who  afterwards  became  Ring 
Charles  I.  of  England.  These  are  the  two  lips  of 
Chesapeake  Bay,  which  opens  like  a  great  mouth 
towards  the  Atlantic.  It  was  into  this  noble  ex 
panse  of  water  that  they  were  driven   by  the  storm. 

After  so  long  a  voyage,  as  the  men  were  anxious 
to  set  their  feet  once  more  upon  terra  Jirma,  the 
captain  gave  permission  for  thirty  of  them  to  land 
upon  Cape  Henry.  As  the  boats  left  with  their 
companies  of  men,  they  were  narrowly  watched  by 
a  party  of  savages  who  were  concealed  upon  the 
shore.  After  a  landing  had  been  effected,  and  the 
men  were  indulging  in  whatever  recreations  they 
preferred,  these  savages  seized  a  favorable  opportu- 
nity, and,  "creeping  upon  all  fours  from  the  hills 
like  bears,"  made  a  sudden  attack  upon  them,  by 
13* 


153  OYSTERS    AND    STRAWBERRIES. 

which  two  of  the  English  were  seriously  wounded. 
But  the  enemy  were  soon  obliged  to  retire  before 
the  fire-arms  of  the  immigrants. 

This   warlike    reception    was    neither   adapted   to 
allay  fear  nor  inspire  hope  in  the  hearts  of  the  col- 
onists; yet  it  may  have  had  a  good   effect  in  quick 
ening  their  vigilance  and   increasing  their  caution  in 
their  subsequent  interviews  with  the  natives. 

In  the  bed  of  one  of  the  rivers  they  found  oysters 
in  great  abundance,  many  of  which  contained  pearls. 
The  land  produced  a  variety  of  noble  trees,  inter- 
spersed with  many  beautiful  and  fragrant  flowers. 
Strawberries  also  abounded,  four  times  larger,  and 
of  much  sweeter  flavor,  than  those  which  were  pro- 
duced in  England. 

Finding  a  place  for  safe  anchorage,  "  which  put 
them  in  good  comfort,"  they  named  it  from  that 
circumstance  Point  Comfort. 

Upon  their  first  arrival,  no  little  anxiety  was  felt 
to  ascertain  the  contents  of  the  sealed  box  which 
had  been  committed  to  them  bv  the  home  govern- 
ment,  with  directions  to  open  it  within  twenty-four 
hours  after  their  arrival,  and  not  till  then. 

As  it  was,  they  found  themselves  upon  the  shores 
of  the  new  world  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a 
settlement,  and  as  yet  were  without  a  governor, 
without  a  local  council,  and  without  laws  for  their 
guidance.     It  being  known  that  the  appointment  of 


THE    SEALED    BOX.  151 

officers,  and  the  rules  by  which  they  should  admin- 
ister the  affairs  of  the  colony,  were  contained  in  that 
box,  the   company  were   solicitous  to   break  its  seal. 

Accordingly,  on  the  evening"  of  the  day  when  the 
savages  made  their  attack,  this  box  was  opened  in 
due  form,  and  the  important  documents  contained 
therein  read ;  from  which  it  was  ascertained  that 
the  following  persons  were  appointed  the  council  : 
Edward  Maria  Wingfield,  Bartholomew  Gosnold, 
John  Smith,  Christopher  Newport,  John  Ratcliffe, 
John  Martin,  and  George  Kendall.  They  were  em- 
powered to  choose  a  governor,  and,  with  him,  to 
manage  the  affairs  of  the  settlement. 

After  this,  they  were  occupied  till  the  13th  of 
May  in  making  explorations,  in  order  to  find  a  suit- 
able place  on  which  to  establish  their  colony. 

They  finally  fixed  upon  a  peninsula  on  the  River 
Powhatan,  about  forty  miles  from  its  mouth,  as  a 
desirable  location  on  which  to  commence  operations. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Smith  unjustly  ejected  from  the  Council.  —  Building  of  James- 
town. —  Wingfield's  Indiscretion.  —  Romantic  Residence  of  the 
Indian  King.  —  Powhatan's  Conduct.  —  Attack  on  Jamestown.  — 
Prowling  Indians.  —  Ambuscades.  —  Severe  Toil.  —  Attempt  to 
send  Smith  Home.  —  Captain  Smith's  Trial.  —  His  honorable 
Acquittal. — President  Wingfield  convicted  and  sentenced.— 
Smith's  Disinterestedness.  —  Good  Influence  of  Mr.  Hunt.  — 
Smith  admitted  to  the  Council  Board.  —  Singular  Fact.  —  In- 
teresting Coincidence. 

After  having  selected  a  site  for  their  new  town, 
their  next  business  was  the  election  of  a  president 
of  the  colony.  Their  choice  fell  upon  Edward 
Maria  Wingfield. 

When  it  was  found  that  Captain  John  Smith  had 
been  appointed  one  of  the  council,  his  enemies,  by 
whom  he  had  been  kept  for  so  long  a  time  confined, 
were  determined  that  he  should  not  serve,  and  Mr. 
Wingfield,  the  president,  delivered  an  address  in 
which  he  assigned  the  reason  for  this  decision. 

It  does  not  redound  to  the  honor  of  the  new  col- 
ony that  one  of  their  first  measures  was  an  act  of 
disobedience  to  their  instructions  from  the  home 
government,  by  which  one  of  their  number  was  un- 
justly deprived  of  his  rights. 

No  time,  however,  was  lost  in  discussing  the  wis- 
dom or  folly  of  this   first   step  of  the   local  council 


BUILDING    OF    JAMESTOWN.  15H 

More  important  practical  matters  were  pressed  upon 
the  attention  of  the  immigrants.  They  were  with- 
out houses  and  without  shelter,  except  what  was 
furnished  by  the  friendly  branches  of  the  trees,  or 
by  projecting  rocks.  Dwellings  were  to  be  reared. 
Accordingly,  the  sound  of  the  axe,  the  saw,  and  the 
hammer  was  soon  heard  echoing  and  reechoing 
among  the  trees  of  the  forest.  The  council  em- 
ployed themselves  in  planning  a  fort ,  others  felled 
trees  to  make  a  clearing  for  their  tents,  in  which 
they  were  to  live  till  houses  could  be  constructed. 
"  Some  provide  clapbord  to  relade  the  ships  ;  some 
make  gardens,  some  nets."  * 

The  town  was  called  after  his  majesty,  King  of 
England,  Jamestown,  and  Powhatan  River,  on  which 
it  stood,  was  changed  to  James  River. 

Whilst  engaged  at  their  work,  the  colonists  were 
often  visited  by  the  tawny  natives,  who  conducted 
themselves  in  a  peaceful  manner,  and  appeared  to. 
be  on  friendly  terms  with  these  new  strangers.  To 
avoid  exciting  their  suspicions  and  fears,  the  presi 
dent  would  allow  of  no  military  exercise  ;  and  ho 
even  went  so  far  as  to  forbid  the  erection  of  any 
other  fortification  than  such  as  could  be  made  by 
the  boughs  of  trees.  It  was  not  long,  however,  before 
he  was  convinced  of  his  indiscretion. 

*  Generall  Historie  of  Virginia,  by  John  Smith. 


154  CAPTAIN    SJinH    LIBERATED. 

After  Captain  Smith  was  liberated  from  his  unjust 
confinement,  though  he  was  not  allowed  to  act  as 
councilman,  he  was  permitted,  in  company  with 
Captain  Newport  and  twenty  others,  to  go  in  search 
of  the  head  waters  of  the  James  River.  He  at  once 
availed  himself  of  the  opportunity.  For  though  he 
had  been  the  subject  of  great  unkind ness,  and  knew 
that  he  had  just  grounds  of  complaint,  still  his  in- 
terest in  the  welfare  of  the  colony  was  not  allowed 
to  diminish. 

On  this  excursion  they  passed  by  several  small 
Indian  villages,  and  on  the  sixth  day  they  arrived  at 
a  town  of  more  importance  than  any  they  had  pre- 
viously seen.  It  consisted  of  twelve  houses,  roman- 
tically situated  on  a  hill  which  commanded  a  beau- 
tiful view  of  the  surrounding  country  :  before  them 
in  the  river  were  three  islands  covered  with  trees 
and  shrubbery,  and  on  the  plains  around  were  the 
cornfields  of  the  villagers. 

This  was  the  residence  of  the  famous  "emperor 
of  the  country,"  whose  name  was  Powhatan,  and  is 
supposed  to  have  been  situated  a  short  distance  be- 
low the  falls,  near  Richmond.  To  this  point  the 
river  was  found  navigable,  but  the  rapids  with  which 
they  here  met  prevented  farther  advancement.  They 
here  took  formal  possession  of  the  country  in  the 
name  of  King  James. 

Powhatan  received  his  visitors  with   the  show  of 


ATTACK    ON    JAMESTOWN.  155 

kindness,  and  manifested  pleasure  at  the  reception 
of  a  hatchet  which  was  presented  to  him  by  Captain 
Newport. 

Throughout  their  entire  route  they  experienced 
no  other  than  kind  treatment  from  all  the  Indians 
whom  they  met. 

But  when  they  returned  they  found  it  had  been 
far  different  with  those  whom  they  had  left  behind. 
During  their  absence  the  Indians  had  taken  advan- 
tage of  the  unprotected  state  of  the  colony,  and  had 
attacked  them,  killing  one  boy  and  wounding  seven- 
teen men. 

The  president  was  now  convinced  of  the  folly  of 
his  policy,  and  made  immediate  preparations  to  de- 
fend himself  from  any  similar  attack.  The  fort  was 
palisadoed  ;  the  cannon  were  mounted,  and  the  men 
were  drilled  in  the  use  of  arms  and  in  military  ma- 
noeuvres. Dr.  Simons,  in  his  Account  of  the  Pro- 
ceedings and  Accidents  of  the  Colony,  says,  "  Had 
it  not  chanced  a  cross-bar  shot  from  the  ships  struck 
down  a  bough  from  a  tree,  that  caused  them  to 
retire,  our  men  had  been  all  slain,  being  securely  all 
at  work,  and  their  arms  in  dry  fats." 

The  Indians  were  constantly  prowling  around  the 
colonists,  and  seized  every  occasion  to  annoy  them. 
Their  assaults  were  numerous.  And  whenever  the 
settlers  went  into  the  woods,  or  wandered  along  the 
shores  of  the  river,  they  were  liable  to  fall  into  an 


156   ATTEMPT  TO  SEND  SMITH  TO  ENGLAND. 

ambush  of  the  savages,  who  were  frequently  found 
lying  in  wait  for  this  purpose,  and  be  cut  off. 

It  required  great  labor  and  unceasing  vigilance 
for  ibis  small  company  to  resist  their  enemies  by 
day,  be  on  watch  all  night,  cut  down  trees,  relade 
the  ships,  build  their  houses,  and  prepare  the  ground 
for  planting. 

When  the  time  arrived  for  the  vessels  to  return 
to  England,  it  was  proposed  by  some  of  the  leaders 
of  the  enterprise,  of  whom  President  Wingfield  was 
one  of  the  chief,  that  they  should  send  Captain  Smith 
home  to  receive  the  censure  of  the  king's  council 
for  the  treasonable  designs  which  they  alleged  against 
him,  and  for  which  they  had  kept  him  a  prisoner 
thirteen  weeks.  It  was  pretended  that  this  proposi- 
tion arose  from  their  compassion  towards  Smith,  as 
they  professed  to  believe  that  his  sentence  would  be 
milder  there  than  though  he  were  to  be  tried  and 
punished  by  the  colony.  But  the  noble-minded,  in- 
dependent prisoner  was  not  the  man  to  be  wheedled 
out  of  his  just  rights  by  their  artful  policy,  nor  be- 
trayed by  his  own  fears  into  an  act  of  indiscretion. 
Being  conscious  of  innocence,  and  deeply  interested 
in  the  welfare  of  the  colony,  he  loudly  demanded  a 
trial  at  once.  He  had  no  idea  of  allowing  his  jeal- 
ous enemies  to  put  him  out  of  the  way  by  sending 
him  across  the  Atlantic.  He,  therefore,  insisted 
upon  a  trial  on  the  spot.      He  came  off  victoriously ; 


smith's  tkiumphant  verdict.  157 

for  although  many  falsehoods  were  reported  about 
him,  he  triumphantly  disproved  then  all,  and  then 
exposed  the  villanous  plots  which  had  been  laid  by  his 
opponents  to  secure  his  overthrow.  The  witnesses 
who  were  called  to  prove  his  guilt,  instead  of  testi- 
fying against  him,  accused  his  persecutors ;  the  con- 
sequence was,  that  not  only  was  Smith  honorably 
acquitted,  but  President  Wingfield,  one  of  the  most 
active  in  originating  the  false  reports  against  him, 
and  getting  up  this  unjust  prosecution,  was  himself 
convicted,  and  compelled  to  pay  Smith  a  fine  of  a 
thousand  dollars  ;  to  do  which  he  had  to  submit  to 
the  seizure  of  all  his  effects. 

Captain  Smith,  who  was  satisfied  with  the  verdict 
of  his  own  acquittal,  had  no  disposition  to  avail  him- 
self of  the  fine  which  had  been  awarded  him  ;  he 
therefore,  with  his  characteristic  generosity,  pre- 
sented it  to  the  colony,  to  be  added  to  their  public 
property. 

After  this  administration  of  the  law,  the  pious 
Mr.  Hunt,  the  clergyman  of  the  colony,  added  the 
peaceful  influences  of  the  gospel,  and  by  his  good 
doctrines  and  discreet  exhortations  succeeded  in  al- 
laying the  animosities  and  strifes  which  their  excited 
passions  had  engendered.  He  was  also  successful 
in  securing  the  admission  of  Captain  Smith  to  the 
board  of  councillors,  from  which,  without  just  cause, 
he  had  been  ejected.  The  next  day  they  all  par- 
14 


158  A    SINGULAR    CIRCUMSTANCE. 

took  of  the  communion  together  in  confirmation  that 
peace  and  harmony  were  restored. 

It  is  a  singular  circumstance  that  Captain  Smith, 
one  of  the  strongest  friends  of  the  colony,  should 
have  been  the  first  person  tried  for  a  crime,  and 
Wingfield,  the  first  president,  should  have  been  the 
fiist  one  to  receive  punishment. 

On  the  15th  of  June  the  Indians  voluntarily  sued 
for  peace.  The  same  day  Captain  Newport,  with 
the  fleet,  sailed  for  England,  leaving  one  hundred 
persons  at  Jamestown  to  establish  the  first  perma- 
nent settlement  in  the  limits  of  the  present  Virginia. 

It  is  an  interesting  coincidence,  that  precisely  the 
same  number  landed  at  Plymouth  on  the  22d  of 
December,  1020.*  The  two  colonies,  who,  during 
future  years,  were  to  have  such  great  influence  in 
the  settlement  of  the  whole  country,  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  free  institutions,  and  the  founding  of  one 
of  the  most  enlightened,  liberal,  and  powerful  gov- 
ernments on  earth,  each  consisted  of  a  hundred 
persons. 

*  Young's  Chronicles. 


CHAPTElt     XIV. 

Quaint  Language.  —  The  President's  Selfishness.  —  Trials  of  the 
Planters.  —  Frequent  Deaths.  —  The  President's  Imbecility.— 
Smith's  Influence.  —  His  Example  of  Industry.  —  Dwellings  pro- 
vided.—  Provisions  scarce.  —  Smith  searches  the  Country  for 
Food.  —  Insulting  Offers  of  the  Savages.  —  Smith's  Treatment 
of  them.  —  Terrific  Attack.  —  Peace  and  Provisions  secured.— 
Bartering.  —  Smith  censured.  —  Exploring  Excursion.  —  Waste- 
fulness of  the  Planters. —  Wingfield's  Plot.  —  Its  Detection  and 
Prevention.  —  Abundance  of  Game.  —  Smith  examines  the 
Chickahominy  River.  —  He  leaves  his  Boat  and  takes  to  a 
Canoe. 

During  the  time  that  the  vessels  remained  with 
them,  the  colonists  were  abundantly  supplied  with 
provisions.  But  when  they  departed,  it  was  far  oth- 
erwise. Simons,  in  his  relation,  quaintly  says  the 
reason  was  this  :  "  Whilst  the  ships  stayed,  our  al- 
lowance was  somewhat  bettered,  by  a  daily  propor- 
tion of  biscuit,  which  the  sailors  would  pilfer  to  sell, 
give,  or  exchange  with  us  for  money,  sassafras,  furs, 
or  love.  But  when  they  departed,  there  remained 
neither  tavern,  beer  house,  nor  place  of  relief  but 
the  common  kettle.  Had  we  been  as  free  from  all 
sins  as  gluttony  and  drunkenness,  we  might  have 
been  canonized  for  saints." 

But  during  this  time  of  distress,  the  president  had 
an  abundance,  by  appropriating  to  his  own  use  the 


1G0       ■  SUFFERINGS  OF  THE  COLONY. 

stores  of  the  colony.  Whilst  he  was  living  luxu- 
riously upon  oatmeal,  sack,  oil,  aqua  vitre,  spirits, 
beef,  and  eggs,  the  people  were  reduced  to  the  com- 
.non  kettle,  which  contained  "  half  a  pint  of  water 
and  as  much  barley  boiled  with  water  for  a  man  a 
day,  and  this,  having  fried  some  twenty -six  weeks  in 
the  ship's  hold,  contained  as  many  worms  as  grains ; 
so  that  we  might  truly  call  it  so  much  bran  than 
corn  :  our  drink  was  water,  our  lodgings  castles  in 
the  air."  Occasionally  they  were  favored  with  crabs 
and  sturgeons. 

In  addition  to  this  wretched  diet,  they  were  sub- 
jected to  severe  labor  in  cutting,  carrying,  and  plant- 
ing their  palisadoes  and  performing  other  necessary 
work  under  the  rays  of  a  burning  sun.  The  conse- 
quence was,  that  disease  set  in  and  made  sad  havoc 
among  them.  One  after  another  they  dropped  into 
the  silent  grave,  filling  the  hearts  of  their  survivors 
with  sorrow,  and  opening  the  fountain  of  their  tears, 
until,  by  September,  one  half  of  their  number  had 
died,  among  whom  was  Captain  Gosnold. 

The  president,  who  seems  to  have  been  a  very 
unsuitable  person  to  have  the  management  of  the 
affairs  of  the  plantation,  being  detected  in  arranging 
a  plan  to  escape  to  England  in  the  pinnace  which 
had  been  left  behind,  and  thus  leave  the  colonists  to 
their  fate,  so  excited  the  whole  company  that  thpy 
deposed  him,  and  appointed  Captain  John  Ratcli-  - 
in  his  place. 


SMITH  ENCOURAGES  THE  COLONY.      161 

As  Newport  had  returned,  Gosnold  deceased, 
Wingfielcl  and  Kendall,  his  accomplices,  in  disgrace, 
and  their  vacancies  in  the  council  not  supplied, 
the  whole  authority  of  the  council  was  vested  in 
Ratcliffe,  the  new  president,  Martin,  and  Smith.  As 
the  first  two  did  not  enjoy  to  any  high  degree  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  the  planters,  as  they  were 
not  reliable  for  wise  counsels  in  times  of  peril,  nor 
remarkable  for  their  industry  in  time  of  peace, 
every  thing  at  first  was  left  to  the  management  of 
Smith,  who  proved  himself  fully  adequate  to  the 
task. 

By  kind  persuasions  and  fair  promises,  sustained 
by  his  own  example,  he  succeeded  in  setting  the 
men  to  work,  who,  in  view  of  their  discouraging 
circumstances,  were  disposed  to  indolence.  Some 
began  to  mow  grass  with  which  to  make  a  covering 
for  their  houses,  others  to  bind  thatch,  others  to  con- 
struct houses,  and  others  still  to  cover  them  with 
thatch  ;  Smith,  in  the  mean  while,  bearing  the  great 
est  amount  of  labor  as  his  own  share,  so  that  in  a 
short  time  he  provided  the  most  of  them  with  dwell- 
ings, though,  with  his  usual  self-forgetful ness,  he 
reared  none  for  himself. 

As  their   stock   of  provisions  was  now  nearly  ex- 
hausted, it  became  necessary  to  make  arrangements 
to    obtain    a   fresh    supply.      Accordingly,    Captain 
Smith,  with    a   company  of   six    or    seven    others, 
14* 


102  SMITH    SEARCHING    FOR    FOOD. 

resolved  to  penetrate  into  the  country,  open  trade 
with  the  Indians,  and  from  them  procure,  if  possible, 
enough  to  meet  the  immediate  wants  of  the  colony. 
He  was  fully  aware  of  the  difficulty  and  responsi- 
bility of  the  undertaking.  The  great  number  of  the 
Indians,  his  ignorance  of  the  language,  the  want  of 
a  sufficient  force,  clothing  for  his  men,  and  other 
necessaries,  furnished  great  impediments,  but  not 
enough  to  divert  him  from  his  purpose. 

His  first  visit  was  to  an  Indian  settlement  called 
Kecoughtan,  near  the  present  location  of  Hampton. 
As  these  wily  savages  were  acquainted  with  the  des- 
titution of  the  colonists,  they  received  them  with 
most  provoking  derision.  They  offered  them,  in  a 
scornful  manner,  a  handful  of  corn  or  a  small  piece 
of  bread  for  their  swords  and  muskets,  and  in  like 
proportion  for  their  clothing  and  other  articles,  but 
manifested  no  disposition  to  enter  upon  the  sober 
business  of  trade.  Such  conduct  was  not  at  all 
adapted  to  the  character  of  Smith.  He  was  not  a 
man  to  be  trifled  with.  Finding  that  nothing  could 
be  obtained  from  these  savages  by  traffic,  nor  cour- 
tesy, he  adopted  other  and  more  stringent  measures, 
as  in  his  judgment  the  case  required,  although  in  so 
doing  he  exceeded  his  commission.  He  discharged 
his  muskets  among  them,  which  created  such  a  panic 
that  they  all  betook  themselves  to  flight,  and  hid 
among  the  trees  of  a  neighboring  woods. 


SMITH'S    MANAGEMENT    OF    THE    INDIANS.        1(>3 

Taking  advantage  of  their  absence,  he  ran  his 
boat  ashore,  and  then  marched  up  to  their  wigwams, 
where  he  found  large  quantities  of  corn,  which  his 
hungry  men  were  so  eager  to  seize  that  it  was  with 
difficulty  he  restrained  them  from  immediately  load- 
ing their  boat  with  the  coveted  food.  Smith  opposed 
this,  because  he  did  not  want  to  irritate  the  Indians 
by  robbing  them,  and  because  he  believed  they  would 
rally  in  the  woods  where  they  had  now  fled,  and 
would  return  to  the  attack.  He  was  not  mistaken  ; 
for  in  a  short  time  a  movement  was  discovered 
among  the  trees.  Dusky  forms  were  seen  darting 
to  and  fro,  as  if  preparations  were  making  for  some 
kind  of  a  demonstration.  Presently  some  sixty  or 
seventy  issued  from  the  woods,  with  their  Okee  borne 
before  them.  This  was  an  idol  made  of  the  skins 
of  animals,  stuffed  with  moss,  rudely  painted,  and 
ornamented  with  chains  and  copper  jewelry.  They 
probably  took  it  with  them  to  battle,  with  the  expec- 
tation that  it  would  protect  them  in  the  conflict,  and 
secure  to  them  the  victory. 

These  Indians  were  painted  in  the  most  frightful 
manner,  as  if  by  their  mere  appearance  they  would 
strike  terror  into  their  enemies.  Some  were  colored 
black,  some  red,  some  white,  and  some  were  varie- 
gated. They  came  out  of  the  woods  in  square  order, 
dancing,  with  many  strange  gesticulations,  and  yell- 
ing in  the  most  hideous  manner.     It  required  great 


164  TERRIFIC    SCENE. 

firmness  to  remain  unmoved  in  '.he  presence  of  such 
brutalized  human  beings,  with  such  a  combination 
of  frightful  figures,  violent  warlike  gestures,  and 
horrid  bowlings.  But  Captain  Smith,  during  his 
eventful  life,  had  had  too  much  experience  to  be  ter- 
rified now  by  paint,  capers,  and  sound.  As  the 
savages,  armed  with  bows,  arrows,  targets,  and 
clubs,  advanced  to  the  attack,  the  English  poured 
into  them  a  volley  of  musketry  loaded  with  pistol 
shot,  which  produced  such  an  effect  that  down  fell 
their  idol,  Dagon-like,  to  the  ground,  and  down  fell 
a  number  of  the  Indians,  who  found  that  from  little 
holes  mysteriously  made  in  their  bodies  by  the  fire 
weapons  of  their  enemies,  another  color  was  flowing 
forth,  mingling  with  the  paint  with  which  they  were 
smeared.  Those  who  were  not  wounded  retreated 
with  all  speed  to  the  woods,  and  sought  shelter  be 
hind  the  largest  trees. 

The  loss  of  their  idol  they  regarded  as  a  great 
misfortune,  and  being  extremely  unwilling  that  it 
should  be  carried  away,  they  sent  one  of  their 
quiyoughlcasoucks,  or  priests,  with  proposals  of 
peace,  to  redeem  it.  Captain  Smith  received  this 
messenger  kindly,  and  gave  him  to  understand  that 
<f  they  would  send  six  of  their  company  unarmed, 
and  load  his  boat  with  provisions,  he  would  not  only 
restore  to  them  their  much-prized  Okce,  but  would 
become  their  friend,  and  give  them   beads,  copper. 


PEACE    AND    BARTER.  165 

and  hatchets.  The  priest  returned  and  communi- 
cated the  result  of  his  interview  to  the  Indians,  who 
regarded  the  proposition  as  liberal,  and  immediately 
went  to  work  to  comply  with  the  terms  proposed. 
Six  unarmed  savages  were  soon  seen  bringing  to  the 
boat  venison,  turkeys,  wild  fowl,  bread,  and  other 
acceptable  articles,  for  which  Smith  gave  in  exchange 
beads,  pieces  of  copper,  and  hatchets.  Peace  being 
thus  established,  the  savages  commenced  again  sing- 
ing and  dancing  ;  but  though  their  music  and  motions 
were  as  uncouth  as  ever,  they  were  of  a  different 
character  from  those  in  which  they  indulged  previous 
to  the  conflict.  Instead  of  expressing  threats  and 
defiance,  they  were  of  a  peaceful  nature,  and  were 
designed  as  an  expression  of  their  friendship.  This 
was  continued  until  the  English  departed. 

Smith  now  returned,  with  his  boat  well  laden,  to 
the  starving  colonists,  who  were  rejoiced  to  welcome 
him  and  partake  of  his  abundance.  Encouraged  by 
the  success  of  this  first  excursion,  Smith  projected 
others,  during  one  of  which  he  discovered  a  tribe  of 
Indians  called  the  Chickahominy.  It  was  not  long 
before  he  ascertained  that  the  supplies  which  he, 
with  so  much  labor  and  peril,  obtained,  were,  during 
his  absence,  shamelessly  wasted.  Such  was  the 
imbecility  of  the  president,  and  Martin  being  sick, 
that  when  Smith  was  absent,  the  colony  had  no 
suitable  head.     Property  was  squandered,  dissensions 


l(>()  wixgfield's  escape  defeated. 

ensued,  and  every  man  did  what  was  right  in  his 
own   eyes. 

Wingfield  and  Kendall,  who  had  not  recovered 
from  their  disgrace,  took  advantage  of  Smith's  ab- 
sence  to  concoct  a  plan  of  escape,  by  taking  the 
pinnace  and  privately  fleeing  to  England.  They 
had  got  on  board,  and  were  about  to  sail,  when 
Smith  unexpectedly  returned,  and  made  a  discovery 
of  the  plot.  He  at  once  forbade  their  going  ;  but 
finding  them  disposed  to  disregard  his  authority,  he 
turned  upon  them  the  cannon  of  the  fort,  and  threat- 
ened to  sink  them  if  they  did  not  desist.  Unde- 
terred by  his  threats,  they  persevered  in  their  at- 
tempt, when  he  opened  upon  them  a  fire  of  musketry 
and  cannon,  and  compelled  them  to  abandon  their 
project.  In  the  engagement,  Captain  Kendall  was 
slain. 

Notwithstanding  this  exhibition  of  Smith's  firm- 
ness, it  was  not  long  before  the  president,  John  Rat- 
cliife,  and  Captain  Archer  were  detected  in  making 
a  similar  attempt,  which,  however,  through  Smith's 
adroitness,  was  effectually  defeated. 

Food  being  constantly  needed,  Smith  went  on  a 
trading  voyage  to  the  Chickahominy  River,  to  cer- 
tain Indians  whom  he  had  promised  to  visit.  When 
he  arrived,  he  found  that  he  had  been  expected,  for 
hundreds  of  the  natives  were  waiting  with  large 
baskets  full  of  corn  to  open  trade  with  him. 


GAME    IN    WINTER.  167 

"  And  now,"  says  Simons,  "  the  winter  approach- 
.ug,  the  rivers  became  so  covered  Avith  swans,  geese, 
ducks,  and  cranes,  that  we  daily  feasted  with  good 
bread,  Virginia  peas,  pompions,  and  putcharnios, 
fish,  fowl,  and  divers  sorts  of  wild  beasts  as  fat  as 
we  could  eat  them  ;  so  that  none  of  our  tuftaftaty 
humorists  desired  to  go  for  England.  But  our  com 
edies  never  endured  long  without  a  tragedy." 

Some  among  the  planters,  so  far  from  being  grate- 
ful to  Captain  Smith  for  his  unwearied  efforts  to 
supply  their  wants  and  promote  the  welfare  of  the 
plantation,  indulged  in  complaints  against  him,  be- 
cause he  had  not  discovered  the  sources  of  the  Chick 
ahominy  River.  With  these  complaints  the  council 
sympathized. 

It  was  one  of  the  orders  of  the  home  government 
that  some  time  should  be  spent  in  making  discov- 
eries, and  especially  to  follow  up  the  branches  of 
rivers,  to  ascertain  whether  they  originated  in  lakes, 
or  sprang  from  mountains,  giving  the  preference  to 
those  which  tended  to  the  north-west.  The  object 
of  this  was  to  discover,  if  possible,  a  passage,  by 
water,  across  the  continent  to  the  North  Pacific 
Ocean. 

Smith,  ever  ready  for  new  adventures,  knowing 
these  orders,  and  being  stimulated  by  the  complaints 
of  the  colonists,  set  out  again  to  reach,  if  possible, 
the    source    of  the   Chickahominy.       He    had    not 


1G8  SMITH    IN    A    CANOE. 

proceeded  far  before  his  progress  was  obstructed  b^ 
large  trees,  which  had  fallen  into  the  water  and 
choked  the  passage.  His  oars  becoming  useless,  he 
employed  his  axe,  and  with  great  labor  cut  a  canal 
through  the  brandies,  and  passed  up  as  far  as  his 
boat  would  go,  where  he  fortunately  found  a  large 
bay.  This  was  just  what  he  wanted  ;  so  anchoring 
his  boat  in  this  bay  at  such  a  distance  from  the  shore 
as  to  be  out  of  reach  of  the  Indians'  arrows,  and 
ordering  his  men  whom  he  left  in  her  not  to  leave 
the  boat  for  any  excursions  on  land,  he  took  two 
Englishmen  and  two  natives,  and  pushed  farther  on 
in  a  light  canoe.  The  singular  adventures  with 
which  he  met  will  be  narrated  in  the  next  chapter 


CHAPTER    XV. 

Disobeying'  Orders.  —  Its  painful  Consequence.  —  Fate  of  two 
Canoe  Men.  —  Indian  Skill  in  Trailing. —  A  live  Shield.  —  An 
Accident. — Smith  captured.  —  His  Policy.  —  Exhibits  a  Pock- 
et Compass.  —  Gives  a  Lecture.  ■ —  Great  Astonishment.  — 
Smith  sentenced  to  die.  —  His  Reprieve.  —  Triumphal  Pro- 
cession. —  How  Smith  is  fed. —  He  suffers  from  Cold.  —  Grat- 
itude in  an  Indian.  —  Revenge. —  Reward  offered  for  Trea- 
son.—  Mj'slerious  Note. —  Indians  visit  Jamestown.  —  Thor 
Reception.  —  Effect  of  the  Note. —  Finding  of  Toys.  —  Smith 
publicly  exhibited. 

After,  Smith  and  his  four  companions  had  dis- 
appeared in  the  distance,  the  men  who  were  left 
behind  found  the  protection  of  the  boat  to  be  very 
monotonous  business.  Instead  of  sitting  still  in  an 
anchored  barge  far  off  from  the  shore,  gazing  upon 
the  rocks  and  trees  which  skirted  the  bay,  or 
watching  the  slowly  changing  shadows  as  they 
marked  the  sun's  decline,  they  desired  active  em- 
ployment. They  longed  for  an  adventure  of  some 
kind  for  the  sake  of  variety.  Therefore,  in  viola- 
tion of  their  captain's  orders,  they  put  into  the 
shore  and  landed.  This  was  an  unfortunate  move, 
for  it  gave  the  savages,  who,  probably,  had  been 
in  concealment,  observing  all  their  movements,  an 
opportunity  to  waylay  them,  by  which  one  of  them, 
15 


170  INDIAN    CRUELTY. 

whose  name  was  George  Cassen,  was  taken  prisoner, 
and  all  of  them  came  near  being  cut  oft*. 

Finding  themselves  in  possession  of  one  of  the 
whites,  the  Indians  compelled  him  to  tell  where 
Captain  Smith  had  gone,  and  then  cruelly  put  him 
to  death.  After  this,  they  divided  themselves  into 
separate  hands,  and  taking  different  directions, 
went  in   pursuit  of  him. 

Smith  had  ascended  the  stream  about  twenty 
miles  farther,  when,  finding  it  impossible  for  his  ca- 
noe to  advance  beyond  that  point,  he  left  it  among 
the  marshes,  in  the  care  of  the  two  Englishmen 
Robinson  and  Emery,  and  went  in  pursuit  of  game 
with  which  to  furnish  them  all  with  meat.  During 
his  absence,  the  Indians  discovered  the  two  English- 
men, being  probably  guided  to  the  place  of  their 
concealment  by  a  fire  which  they  bad  kindled,  the 
smoke  of  which  had  betrayed  them.  They  imme- 
diately sent  upon  them  a  shower  of  arrows,  and 
slew  them,  and  then  went  in  search  of  Smith. 

In  all  probability,  if  Englishmen  had  set  out  in 
pursuit  of  Smith,  it  would  have  been  a  long  time 
before  they  would  have  found  him,  if  indeed  they 
had  succeeded  at  all.  But  these  Indians,  from 
long  practice  in  following  the  trail  of  their  enemies 
through  forests,  fields,  and  swamps,  had  become 
so  expert,  that  they  could  pursue  them  with  great 
certainty    where   the    eye    of    a    white    man    could 


smith's  living  shield. 


171 


discover  no  traces  whatever.  The  leaning  of  the 
grass  ;  the  slight  bending  of  a  bough  out  of  its 
natural  direction  ;  an  occasional  broken  twig,  or 
fresh-torn  leaves,  which  an  inexperienced  eye  would 
not  notice, — would  furnish  them  with  positive  «~>v 
idence  of  the  course  which  had  been  taken. 

After  the  Indians  had  left  the  dead  bodies  of  the 
two  men  whom  they  had  murdered,  it  was  not 
long  before  they  discovered  Smith.  Finding  him- 
self in   danger  of  being  slain  by  the  arrows  which 


Smith  and  his  living  Shield 


they  poured  upon  him,  he,  with  his  usual  presence 
of  mind,  tied  his  Indian  guide  to  his  arm  with  his 
garter,  that  he   might  use   him  as   a   shield.     Then 


172  SMITH    CAPTURED    BY    THE     INDIANS. 

loading  his  gun  as  rapidly  as  he  could,  he  returned 
thoir  fire  with  fatal  effect.  In  the  mean  time,  with 
his  living  shield  tied  to  his  arm,  he  endeavored  tc 
retreat  to  his  canoe.  The  savages  followed  him  ; 
hut  as  he  could  send  his  bullets  farther  than  they 
could  their  arrows,  they  were  afraid  to  approach 
within  arrow  shot.  With  such  sure  aim  did  he  fire, 
that  he  killed  three  of  his  pursuers,  and  wounded  a 
number  of  others.  He  was  now  in  a  fair  way  to 
make  his  escape.  But  whilst  slowly  retreating  to 
where  he  left  his  men,  and  watching  more  closely 
the  movements  of  his  enemies  than  his  own  foot- 
steps, he  suddenly  fell  into  a  pit  or  soft  morass, 
from  which  he  found  it  impossible  to  extricate  him- 
self. His  enemies,  who  had  seen  the  fearful  havoc 
of  his  gun,  were  afraid  to  approach  him,  though  he 
was  now  floundering  in  the  mud.  They  therefore 
kept  at  a  distance,  until  Smith,  finding  himself  al- 
most perishing  from  the  cold  and  wet,  threw  from 
him  his  gun,  and  in  that  manner  indicated  to  them 
that  he  ceased  resistance,  and  yielded  himself  a 
prisoner.  They  now  approached,  drew  him  half 
dead  from  the  mire,  and  led  him  to  the  fire,  where 
the  painful  scene  was  presented  him  of  his  two 
companions  lying  where  he  left  'hem,  but  now  cold, 
stiff,  and  lifeless. 

Though  he  was  now  fully  in  their  power,  they 
warmed  him,  and  rubbed  his  chilled  limbs  in  order 
to  restore  him  to  his  usual  sensibility. 


WONDER    EXCITED    BY    A    COMPASS.  173 

Smith,  being  a  man  of  great  sagacity,  and  know- 
ing also  something  of  the  Indian  character,  was 
aware  that  if  he  exhibited  the  least  fear,  he  would 
lose  all  respect  in  their  eyes,  and  be  more  likely  to 
receive  a  speedy  sentence ;  but  if,  on  the  other 
hand,  he  could  increase  their  reverence  for  him,  it 
might  operate  in  his  favor.  The  band  by  whom  he 
had  been  taken  numbered  three  hundred,  and  were 
under  the  command  of  a  distinguished  chief,  named 
Opechancanough. 

Without  exhibiting  the  least  alarm,  Smith  boldly 
asked  for  their  chief.  Opechancanough  being  point- 
ed out  to  him,  he  made  a  virtue  of  necessity,  and 
presented  to  him  a  round,  ivory,  double  compass, 
with  the  needle  covered  with  a  glass.  This  was 
an  instrument  having  a  round  dial,  with  all  the 
points  of  the  mariner's  compass  marked  upon  it, 
and  in  the  centre  a  delicate,  steel,  magnetized 
needle,  poised  upon  a  pivot,  which,  when  at  rest, 
would  always  point  to  the  north.  Over  this  was 
placed  a  crystal  like  that  belonging  to  a  watch. 
Its  peculiar  powers  were  explained  to  the  chief. 
Smith  turned  it  around  in  different  directions,  and 
then  showed  them  how  the  needle  would  always 
turn  back  and  quietly  point  to  the  north.  They 
were  highly  amused  at  its  mysterious  movements ; 
but  when  they  put  their  finger  down  to  touch  it, 
they  were  amazed  that  they  could  not  reach  it. 
15* 


174  smith's  lecture. 

the  glass  keeping  them  off.  That  they  could  so 
plainly  see  it,  and  yet  not  be  able  to  touch  it,  was 
to  them  very  marvellous.  Smith,  hoping  to  keep 
the  advantage  which  he  had  gained  over  them  in 
this  diversion  of  their  thoughts  from  his  own  death, 
continued  to  expatiate  upon  the  wonderful  proper- 
ties of  the  needle,  some  of  which  were  evidently 
the  product  of  his  own  imagination.  "  He  demon- 
strated, by  that  globe-like  Jewell,  the  roundness  of 
the  earth  and  skies,  the  sphere  of  the  sun,  moon, 
and  stars,  and  how  the  sun  did  chase  the  night 
round  about  the  world  continually  ;  the  greatness 
of  the  land  and  sea,  the  diversity  of  nations, 
variety  of  complexions,  and  how  we  were  to  them 
antipodes,  and  many  other  such  like  matters,  at 
which  they   all   stood   as   amazed  with   admiration." 

Although,  by  this  ingenious  device  of  Smith, 
they  might  have  had  their  reverence  for  him  in- 
creased, and  might  have  regarded  him  as  a  greater 
conjurer  than  any  among  themselves,  yet  their 
desire  for  his  death  was  nowise  diminished.  He 
had  slain  three  of  their  number  and  wounded  sev- 
eral others  with  a  weapon  more  marvellous  than 
was  his  needle.  They  were  thirsting  for  his  blood, 
and  were  resolved  to  have  it. 

Within  an  hour,  arrangements  for  his  execution 
were  made.  They  bound  him  to  a  tree  to  prevent 
his    escape,    and    then    arranged    themselves    about 


SINGULAR    PROCESSION.  175 

him  with  their  weapons,  prepared  to  shoot  bin*. 
All  things  being  ready,  and  when  in  a  few  minutes 
he  would  have  been  riddled  with  their  arrows, 
their  chief  held  up  Smith's  compass  in  his  hand  as 
a  signal  to  them.  The  effect  was  electric.  They 
all  at  once  cast  their  weapons  to  the  ground,  and 
abandoned  the  intention  of  slaying  him.  They 
then  released  him  from  the  tree,  loosened  the  cords 
by  which  he  was  bound,  and  led  him  in  a  triumphal 
manner  to  Orapaks,  an  Indian  town,  whose  location 
was  a  few  miles  north-east  of  the  present  city  of 
Richmond. 

"  The  order  in  conducting  him  was  thus  :  Draw- 
ing themselves  all  in  file,  the  king,  in  the  midst, 
had  all  their  pieces  and  swords  borne  before  him. 
Captain  Smith  was  led  after  him  by  three  great 
savages,  holding  him  fast  by  each  arm,  and  on  each 
side  six  went  in  file  with  their  arrows  nocked. 
But  arriving  at  the  town,  all  the  women  and  chil- 
dren staring  to  behold  him,  the  soldiers,  all  in  file, 
performe  the  form  of  a  bissom  so  well  as  could  be, 
and  on  each  flank,  officers  as  Serjeants  to  see  them 
keep  their  orders.  A  good  time  they  continued 
this  exercise,  and  then  cast  themselves  in  a  ring, 
dancing  in  such  several  postures,  and  singing  and 
yelling  out  such  hellish  notes  and  screeches,  being 
strangely  painted,  every  one  his  quiver  of  arrows, 
and  at  his  back  a  club  ;  on   his  arm   a  fox  or  an 


176  SMITH    WELL    GUARDED. 

otter's  skin,  or  some  such  matter  for  his  vambiaci  ;  * 
their  heads  and  shoulders  painted  red,  with  oil  and 
poconesf  mingled  together,  which  scarlet-like  color 
made  an  exceeding  handsome  show  ;  his  bow  in 
his  hand,  and  the  skin  of  a  bird,  with  her  wings 
abroad,  dried,  tied  on  his  head,  a  piece  of  copper,  a 
white  shell,  a  long  feather,  with  a  small  rattle  grow- 
ing at  the  tails  of  their  snakes  tied  to  it,  or  some 
such  like  toy.  All  this  while,  Smith  and  the  king 
stood  in  the  midst,  guarded,  as  before  is  said  ;  and 
after  three  dances,  they  all  departed.  Smith  they 
conducted  to  a  long  house,  where  thirty  or  forty 
tall  fellows  did  guard  him,  and  ere  long  more  bread 
and  venison  were  brought  him  than  would  have 
served  twenty  men.  I  think  his  stomach  at  that 
time  was  not  very  good.  What  he  left  they  put 
in  baskets  and  tied  over  his  head.  About  midnight, 
they  set  the  meat  again  before  him.  All  this  time, 
not  one  of  them  would  eat  a  bit  with  him,  till  the 
next  morning  they  brought  him  as  much  more,  and 
then  did  they  eat  all  the  old,  and  reserved  the  new, 
as  they  had  done  the  other,  which  made  him  think 
they  would  fat  him  to  eat  him." 

This  was  certainly  no  desirable  condition  to  be 
in.      The    idea   of  being   bountifully  furnished   with 

*  Vambrace  is  the  name  of  that  piece  of  armor  which  protect* 
the  arm  below  the  elbow. 

*  The  berries  of  pokeweed. 


PLEASING     INCIDENT.  177 

provisions  only  to  be  fattecl  like  a  stalled  ox,  in 
order  to  make  a  better  meal  for  others,  was  enough 
to  take  away  one's  appetite.  No  wonder,  therefore, 
that  Simons  says,  "  I  think  his  stomach  at  that  time 
was  not  very  good." 

Though  Smith  had  a  plentiful  supply  of  provis- 
ions, he  was  short  off  for  clothes,  and  it  being  an 
unusually  severe  winter,  he  suffered  not  a  little 
from  cold. 

It  will  be  pleasant  here  to  narrate  an  incident, 
which,  whilst  it  will  illustrate  the  benefits  of  kind- 
ness, will  also  show  that  the  native  aborigines  of 
this  country  were  not  wholly  insensible  to  emotions 
of  gratitude ;  that,  with  all  their  bloodthirsty  cru- 
elty, they  knew  how  to  reward  a  favor. 

When  Smith  first  arrived  in  Virginia,  he  was 
visited  by  an  Indian  named  Maocassater,  whom  he 
received  with  kindness,  and  to  whom  he  gave  some 
green  beads  and  other  ornaments,  which  the  visitor 
highly  valued.  Smith  thought  no  more  of  it.  He 
might,  perhaps,  have  entirely  forgotten  it.  Not  so 
with  Maocassater.  The  unexpected  kindness  had 
made  an  impression  upon  his  mind  too  deep  to  be 
erased ;  and  now  that  an  opportunity  was  offered 
to  return  it,  he  cheerfully  availed  himself  of  it. 
Seeing  that  Smith  was  poorly  clad,  and  was  suffer- 
ing from  cold,  he  generously  took  off  his  own 
warm   robe    ff  skins,  and  gave    it  to  the  shivering 


178 


GRATITUDE    AND    REVENGE. 


captive,  that  with  it  he  might  make  himself  more 
comfortahle.  This  kindness  to  a  helpless  prisoner, 
who  had  previously  conferred  a  favor,  ought  not  to 
be  forgotten.  Let  the  name  of  Maocassater  have 
honorable  mention  so  long  as  the  story  of  Smith  is 
remembered. 


Indian  Gratitude. 


Two  days  after  this,  an  attempt  was  made  upon 
the  life  of  Smith,  by  an  Indian  whose  son  was  sick. 
Whether  this  father  supposed  that  Smith  was  the 
cause  of  his  son's  sickness,  or  whether  he  was  one 
of  those  who  had  been  vv  wnded  by  Smith  in  the 
battle,  it  is  now  impossible  to  tell.  The  murderous 
attempt  being  unsuccessful,   Smith  was  led,  probably 


TREASON    PROPOSED    TO    SMITH.  179 

at  his  own  request,  to  the  couch  of  the  dying  man. 
After  examining  the  symptoms  of  the  patient,  he 
told  the  friends  standing  around  that  he  had  a 
medicine  at  Jamestown   which  would   cure   him. 

Either  because  they  disbelieved  his  assertion,  or 
because  they  were  fearful  of  losing  him,  they  re- 
fused to  let  Smith  go  for  the  medicine.  They  were 
now  busily  engaged  in  making  preparations  for  an 
attack  upon  Jamestown,  and  they  desired  Smith  to 
give  his  advice  and  assistance  in  the  undertaking, 
promising  that,  in  case  of  his  compliance,  they 
would  spare  his  life,  grant  him  his  liberty,  give  him 
abundance  of  land  to  cultivate,  and  as  many  women 
for  his  wives  and  servants  as  he  should  desire. 
Though  this  was  a  very  tempting  offer,  Captain 
Smith  was  not  at  all  disposed  to  accept  of  it  ;  yet 
he  desired  to  avail  himself  of  the  sickness  of  this 
Indian  patient  to  get  word  to  the  colony  of  his  own 
condition,  and  of  the  evil  design  of  the  Indians. 

As  the  natives  were  destitute  of  books  and  of  a 
written  language,  they  were  ignorant  of  the  fact 
that  messages  could  be  sent  by  means  of  notes. 
Smith  knew  that  if  he  could  only  persuade  some 
of  them  to  take  a  letter  to  Jamestown,  he  could 
communicate  his  own  captivity,  and  put  the  colony 
on  their  guard  against  surprise,  without  his  captors' 
knowing  what  he  did.  He  therefore  informed  the 
Indians,   that   if  they  would    go    to   Jamestown    for 


180  A    MYSTERIOUS     PAPER. 

him,  they  would  obtain  many  toys  and  articles 
which  would  be  of  use  to  them.  Some  of  them 
agreed  to  comply  with  his  request.  He  then  told 
the  messengers  that  they  must  take  with  them  a 
pie:e  of  paper,  on  which  he  would  make  some 
crooked  marks ;  that  when  they  arrived  at  James- 
town, the  English  would  sally  out  against  them,  and 
if  they  left  the  paper  with  the  mysterious  marks 
upon  it  where  the  English  could  see  it,  they  would 
find  soon  after,  in  a  certain  place  which  he  desig- 
nated, a  variety  of  articles,  which  he  ordered  them 
to  bring  to  him. 

The  messengers  started  upon  their  journey  in 
the  severest  season  of  the  year.  The  waters  were 
locked  in  ice,  and  the  ground  covered  with  snow. 
It  was  a  painful  journey.  When  they  arrived  at 
Jamestown,  the  colonists,  regarding  them  as  en- 
emies, sallied  out  upon  them,  as  Smith  had  said. 
The  Indians  fled  ;  but  in  so  doing  they  dropped  the 
paper  covered  with  the  cabalistic  marks  where 
they  supposed  the  English  would  find  it.  Tins 
paper  contained  a  statement  of  Captain  Smith's 
captivity,  and  of  the  intended  attack  upon  the 
colony.  It  also  advised  the  colonists  to  fire  off  the 
cannon,  and  make  other  imposing  warlike  demon- 
strations in  the  presence  of  the  messengers,  so  as 
to  give  them  a  salutary  fright,  and  closed  with  the 
request    that    they    would  conceal    various    articles. 


smith's  prediction  true.  18l 

which  he  named,  in  a  certain  specified  place,  in 
order  that  his  messengers  might  obtain  them  and 
bring  them  to  him. 

After  the  Indians  had  dropped  the  letter  and  fled, 
they  carefully  concealed  themselves  for  the  rest  of 
the  day.  But  when  the  sun  had  gone  down,  and 
the  dark  shadows  of  night  had  settled  upon  hill 
and  valley,  they  cautiously  left  their  place  of  con- 
cealment, and  with  noiseless  steps,  and  many  a 
furtive  glance  cast  into  the  deep  gloom  which  sur- 
rounded them,  they  stealthily  approached  the  spot 
which  Smith  had  designated,  and  there,  to  their 
great  surprise,  they  found  the  articles  for  him  and 
the  toys  for  tntmselves,  just  as  he  had  predicted. 

They  now  retraced  their  steps  for  home,  where 
they  arrived  after  three  days'  absence.  They  there 
related,  to  the  great  astonishment  of  their  hearers, 
all  their  adventures,  and  confirmed  every  thing 
that  Smith  had  previously  said  respecting  the  great 
guns  and  explosive  mines,  and  the  ability  of  the 
colony  to  repel  any  assault  the  Indians  might  make. 
They  dwelt  with  special  interest  upon  the  myste- 
rious appearance  of  the  promised  articles  in  the 
very  spot  described  by  their  captive.  As  all  these 
things  were  so  inexplicable  to  these  ignorant  red 
men  of  the  forest,  their  superstitious  fears  disposed 
them  to  believe,  either  that  their  captive  practised 
divination,  or  else  that  that  leaf  with  the  strange 
16 


182  THE    CAPTIVE    EXHIBITED. 

marks  upon  it  could  speak.  In  no  other  way  could 
they  account  for  the  wonderful  results  which  had 
been   produced. 

After  the  successful  termination  of  Smith's  mes- 
sage to  Jamestown,  the  Indians  carried  him  about 
the  country,  and  exhibited  him  to  the  various 
aboriginal  tribes  who  dwell  along  the  line  of  the 
Rappahannoc  and  Patawomek  (Potomac)  Rivers, 
to  whom  he  was  a  great  curiosity.  After  a  circuit 
of  many  miles,  they  finally  returned  with  him  to 
Pamaunkee,  the  residence  of  the  chief  Opechan- 
canough,  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  near  the 
fork   of  York  River. 


CHAPTEE    XVI. 

Singular  Costume.  —  Mysterious  Ceremony.  —  Its  Explanation.  -• 
Smith  favored.  —  Visits  Opitchapam.  —  Indian  Beggars.  — 
Apprehensions  of  Danger.  —  Powder  planted.  —  Emperor  Pow- 
hatan. —  Indian  Splendor.  —  Guards.  —  Their  severe  Disci- 
pline.—  Subordinate  Kings. —  Indian  Toilet.  —  The  Emper- 
or's Court.  —  The  Consultation.  —  Smith's  Sentence.  —  Won- 
derful Deliverance.  —  Pocahontas.  —  Executioners  disappoint- 
ed.—Smith  a  Toy  Maker.  _"  The  Chieftain's  Daughter."  — 
Female  Kindness. —  A  sympathizing  Brother. 

After  the  Indians  had  returned  from  their  tri- 
umphal display  of  their  captive,  they  went  through 
certain  wild  and  strange  ceremonies,  of  which 
Smith,  in  his  General  History  of  Virginia,  has 
given   the  following  interesting  description:  — 

"  Early  in  the  morning,  a  great  fire  was  made 
in  a  long  house,  and  a  mat  spread  on  the  one  side 
as  on  the  other.  On  the  one  they  caused  him  to 
sit,  and  all  the  guard  went  out  of  the  house,  and 
presently  came  skipping  in  a  great  grim  fellow,  all 
painted  over  with  coal,  mingled  with  oil  ;  and 
many  snakes'  and  weasels'  skins  stuffed  with  moss, 
and  all  their  tails  tied  together,  so  as  they  met  on 
the  crown  of  his  head  in  a  tassel  ;  and  round  about 
the  tassel  was  as  a  coronet  of  feathers,  the  skin 
hanging  round  about  his  head,  back,  and  shoulders, 
oud  in  a  manner  covered  bis  face  ;  with  a  hellish 


184  STRANGE    CEREMONY. 

voice  and  rattle  in  his  hand.  With  most  strange 
gestures  and  passions  he  began  his  invocation,  and 
environed  the  fire  with  a  circle  of  meale ;  which 
done,  three  more  such  hideous  beings  came  rushing 
in  with  the  like  antique  tricks,  painted  half  black, 
half  red  ;  but  all  their  eyes  were  painted  white, 
and  some  red  strokes  like  Mutchato's  alonsf  their 
cheeks.  Round  about  him  those  fiends  danced  a 
pretty  while,  and  then  came  in  three  more  as  ugly 
as  the  rest,  with  red  eyes  and  white  strokes  over 
their  black  faces  ;  at  last  they  all  sat  down  right 
against  him,  three  on  one  side  of  the  chief  priest, 
and  three  on  the  other.  Then  all  with  rattles 
began  a  song,  which  ended,  the  chief  priest  laid 
down  five  wheat  corns ;  then,  straining  his  arms 
and  hands  with  such  violence  that  he  sweat,  and 
his  veins  swelled,  he  began  a  short  oration  ;  at 
the  conclusion,  they  all  gave  a  short  groan,  and 
then  laid  down  three  grains  more.  After  that  be- 
gan their  song  again,  and  then  another  oration, 
ever  laying  down  so  many  corns  as  before,  till  they 
had  twice  encircled  the  fire  ;  that  done,  they  took  a 
bunch  of  little  sticks  prepared  for  that  purpose, 
continuing  still  their  devotion,  and  at  the  end  of 
every  song  and  oration,  they  laid  down  a  stick 
betwixt  the  divisions  of  the  corn.  Till  night, 
neither  he  nor  they  did  either  eat  or  drink;  and 
then  they  feasted  merrily  with  the  best  provisions 
they  could   make" 


EXPLANATION    OF    THE    STRANGE    CEREMONY.       185 

These  singularly  wild  and  mysterious  ceremonies 
were  repeated  three  days  in  succession,  and  their 
explanation,  as  given  to  Smith,  was,  that  the  circle 
of  meal  signified  their  country  ;  the  circles  made 
by  the  kernels  of  corn  indicated  the  bounds  of 
the  sea ;  the  sticks  which  were  employed  repre- 
sented the  country  of  Smith  ;  and  the  design  of 
the  whole  operation  was  to  discover  whether  tbe 
intentions  of  Smith   were  friendly  or  otherwise. 

The  arrangement  of  the  materials  was  based 
upon  their  opinion  that  the  earth  was  flat  and 
circular.  As  they  knew  that  the  ocean  separated 
them  from  the  country  of  Smith,  they  made  the 
circle  of  corn,  which  represented  the  sea,  to  come 
between  the  meal,  which  stood  for  their  own  land, 
and  the  sticks,  which  were  the  symbol  of  Smith's 
country. 

The  result  of  these  ceremonies  seems  to  have 
been  favorable  for  their  captive  ;  for  after  this,  he 
visited,  by  invitation,  Qpitchapam,  the  king's  brother, 
who  welcomed  him  in  true  Indian  style,  and  set 
before  him  large  quantities  of  bread,  fowl,  and 
wild  beasts,  the  inmates  of  the  wigwam  looking  on 
while  he  ate,  but  not  taking  any  with  him.  The 
fragments  they  deposited  carefully  in   baskets. 

On  his  return  to  Pamunkey,  all  of  Chief  Ope- 
chancanough's  family  gathered  around  him,  beg- 
16* 


186  SEED    POWDER. 

ging  for  various  articles,   according  to  their  custom 
on   such   occasions,   with    which   to   make   merry. 

Smith's  condition  was  far  from  being  pleasant. 
He  was  a  prisoner  to  savage  barbarians,  and  was 
in  suspense  as  to  what  would  be  his  ultimate  fate. 
Although  he  carried  himself,  as  wise  policy  dictated, 
with  great  courage,  yet  he  was  far  from  being  free 
from  painful  apprehensions.  A  rude  couplet,  which 
may  have  fallen  from  his  pen,  expresses  his  experi- 
ence at  night : — 

"  But  his  waking  mind,  in  hideous  dreams,  did   oft  see  wondrous 
shapes 
Of  bodies    strange,  and    huge    in    growth,   and   of  stupendious 
makes." 

Whilst  he  was  among  this  people,  they  brought 
him  a  bag  of  gunpowder  which  had  been  taken 
from  him  or  from  some  other  Englishman.  As  the 
grains  were  nearly  of  an  equal  size,  and  of  a  uni- 
form color,  they  very  naturally  supposed  that  they 
were  the  seeds  of  some  kind  of  plant.  As  they 
had  witnessed  and  experienced  the  wonderful  ex- 
ecution of  which  these  small  black  grains  were 
capable,  they  were  delighted  with  their  good  for- 
tune in  getting  possession  of  some.  They  kept  it 
very  carefully  till  the  spring,  and  then  planted  it 
the  same  as  corn,  with  the  expectation  of  gathering 
a  crop.      When,  in   the  summer,   they  found  them« 


BARBARIC    SPLENDOR    AND    STATE.  187 

selves  disappointed,  whether  they  attributed  their 
failure  to  the  machinations  of  Smith,  or  to  their 
want  of  experience  in  cultivating  this  supposed  new 
seed,  we  are  not  informed. 

After  leaving  this  place,  Smith  was  next  carried 
to  Werowocomoco,  the  residence  of  their  famous 
King  Powhatan,  who  was  a  very  powerful  chief. 
As  -different  tribes  were  subject  to  him,  embracing 
many  hundreds  of  warriors,  he  is  sometimes  called 
and  described  as  an  Indian  emperor. 

He  lived  in  as  much  barbaric  state  and  splendor 
as  his  circumstances  would  allow.  He  was  usually 
surrounded  by  forty  or  fifty  of  the  tallest  and  most 
noble-looking  warriors  which  the  country  afforded. 
They  constituted  a  body  guard,  which,  after  his 
acquaintance  with  the  English,  he  increased  to  two 
hundred.  Every  night,  he  stationed  a  sentinel  at 
each  corner  of  his  house,  and  every  half  hour 
during  the  night,  one  of  the  main  guard  gave,  as  a 
signal,  a  sound  produced  by  his  lips  and  fingers,  to 
which  each  of  the  others  was  obliged  to  reply,  as 
evidence  of  wakefulness.  If  any  of  them  failed  to 
give  the  expected  response,  an  officer  was  immedi- 
ately sent  to  the  delinquent,  and  inflicted  upon  him 
severe  chastisement. 

At  the  different  places  where  he  was  accustomed 
to  spend  portions  of  the  year,  he  had  houses  for 
his  reception,  some  of  which  were   from   a  hundred 


188  TOILET    ATTENTIONS. 

to  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long,  and  were  well 
stored  with  provision.  He  had  many  females  in 
his  family,  and  when  he  slept,  one  sat  at  his  head, 
and  another  at  his  feet.  But  when  he  was  up,  he 
usually  had  one  sitting  on  each  side  of  him. 

He  had  thirty  inferior  kings  subject  to  him,  each 
of  whom  had  the  power  of  life  and  death  over 
his  subjects ;  yet  to  all  these  subordinates  the 
will  of  Powhatan  was  supreme  law,  which  they 
were  bound  to  obey.  He  was  reverenced  by  his 
subjects  as  though  he  were  divine,  and  at  his  feet 
they  cast  whatever  he  demanded.  He  was  ex- 
tremely severe  in  punishing  those  who  offended  him, 
for  he  inflicted  upon  them  the  most  exquisite  torture 
that  his  cruel  ingenuity  could  invent.  A  frown 
from  his  brow  would  fill  the  bravest  hearts  with 
fear. 

When  Smith  arrived  at  the  residence  of  this 
noted  monarch,  Powhatan  and  his  train  of  confi- 
dential officers  and  advisers  retired  to  array  them- 
selves in  their  showy  robes  of  state,  that  they  might 
be  appropriately  attired  for  so  important  an  occa- 
sion. During  the  time  that  they  were  employed 
in  arranging  their  toilet,  Smith  was  surrounded  by 
more  than  two  hundred  others,  who  "  stood  won 
dering  at  him  as  he  had   been  a  monster." 

After  the  Indians  had  arrayed  themselves  in 
their   gala    robes,    with    skins,   feathers,    and   orna- 


THE    COURT.  189 

merited  belts,  they  came  forth  to  attend  to  the 
important  duty  before  them,  which  was  to  give 
their  distinguished  prisoner  an  appropriate  recep- 
tion, and  to  decide  upon  his  fate.  The  etiquette 
which  was  observed  on  that  solemn  occasion  was 
ns  follows :  — 

On  one  side  of  his  wigwam,  upon  a  raised  plat- 
form, sat  the  renowned  Powhatan,  wearing  a  large 
robe  of  raccoon  skins,  ornamented  with  the  tails 
of  the  same  animals,  and  a  coronet  of  feathers 
upon  his  head.  On  either  side  of  him  sat  a  young 
squaw,  sixteen  or  eighteen  years  of  age  —  perhaps 
his  daughters.  On  both  sides  of  the  house  were 
arranged,  in  a  sitting  posture,  two  rows  of  men, 
and  behind  them  as  many  more  women,  whose 
faces  and  shoulders  were  painted  red,  on  whose 
heads  was  a  head-dress  of  feathers,  or  some  other 
material,  and  around  whose  necks  was  suspended  a 
great  chain  of  white  beads.  In  the  middle  of  the 
house  a  fire   was  burning. 

When  all  were  in  readiness,  Captain  Smith  was 
led  in  and  introduced  to  this  imposing  circle.  As 
he  entered,  the  whole  company  greeted  him  with  a 
loud  shout,  which  might  have  been  heard  at  a  great 
distance.  The  females  were  now  ordered  to  wait 
upon  him.  The  queen  of  Appamatuck  was  com- 
manded to  bring  him  water  to  wash  his  hands ; 
another  furnished  him  a  bunch  of  feathers,  instead 


(90  SMITH    DOOMED    TO    DIE. 

of  a  towel,  with  which  to  dry  them.  This  cer- 
emony being  through,  they  then  supplied  him  with 
food,  and  feasted  him  according  to  their  custom  on 
such  occasions  ;  after  which,  they  held  a  long  con- 
sultation, to  decide  what  disposition  they  should 
make  of  him.  Instead  of  releasing  him,  and  using 
him  as  a  medium  through  whom  to  negotiate  a 
treaty  of  peace  and  friendship  with  the  whites  at 
Jamestown,  on  terms  mutually  beneficial,  which  the 
English  would  gladly  have  entered  into,  their  decis- 
ion was  of  a  different  character.  Their  protracted 
deliberation  concluded  in  dooming  him  to  instant 
death.  Accordingly,  two  large  stones  were  brought 
in  and  laid  before  Powhatan,  as  it  was  his  design 
to  see  the  execution.  Then  began  a  commotion 
among  the  inmates  of  the  cabin.  The  men  rushed 
towards  Smith,  and  as  many  as  could  get  near 
enough  to  lay  hold  of  him,  seized  him  and  dragged 
him  towards  the  fatal  stones.  In  the  mean  time,  an 
interesting  and  favorite  daughter  of  Powhatan, 
about  thirteen  years  of  age,  whose  name  was  Poc- 
al  ontas,  seeing  the  murderous  design  of  the  execu- 
tioners, and  knowing  that  her  father  had  full  power 
to  prevent  further  proceedings,  began  to  intercede 
with  him  in  an  earnest  manner  to  spare  the  life  of 
his  prisoner.  It  was  a  most  touching  scene.  Smith, 
bound,  helpless,  and  in  the  power  of  his  enemies, 
lay  with  his  head  upon  the  stone.    The  executioners. 


SMITH    SAVED    BY    POCAHONTAS.  191 

thirsting  for  his  blood,  with  club  in  hand,  were  only 
waiting  for  the  signal  of  the  king  to  give  the  fatal 
blow  ;  but  at  the  feet  of  that  king  is  a  beloved 
daughter  pleading  with  affectionate  earnestness  for 
him  to  spare  the  white  man.  The  life  of  the 
prisoner  is  suspended  upon  the  intercessions  of  that 
child.  Is  she  successful  1  Does  the  heart  of  her 
father  relent  1  Does  he  look  down  upon  her  and 
smile  1  Does  he  yield  to  the  affectionate  pleading  of 
his  favorite  daughter,  and  command  the  prisoner's 
release  1  Alas  !  no.  Her  haughty  father  refuses 
her  request,  and  orders  the  execution  to  proceed. 
The  prisoner's  position  is  adjusted  to  receive  the 
murderous  blow ;  the  club  is  raised  ;  in  a  moment 
more,  the  fatal  deed  will  be  over.  And  now  that 
child,  failing  in  her  prayers,  leaves  her  father's 
feet,  rushes  through  the  executioners,  seizes  the 
head  of  the  captive  in  her  arms,  and  lays  her  own 
upon  it,  so  that  he  cannot  be  smitten,  without  she 
is  first  slain.  The  youthful  intercessor  becomes  the 
protector,  and  interposes  her  own  person  between 
the  captive  and  death.  This  exhibition  of  interest, 
so  unlooked  for  and  so  unusual,  awakened  great 
surprise  amongst  the  tawny  sons  of  the  forest. 
The  eyes  of  the  executioners  gleamed  with  anger 
at  this  untimely  interruption.  The  spectators  would 
gladly  have  torn  her  away,  for  they  delighted  in 
scenes   of  blood,    and  were   unwilling  to   be  disap- 


192  the  chieftain's  daughter. 

pointed  on  this  occasion.  But  they  must  wait  the 
orders  of  their  chief,  who,  by  this  fresh  exhibition 
of  compassion  on  the  part  of  his  daughter,  was 
overcome  ;  his  heart  was  softened,  and  he  con- 
cluded to  spare  the  prisoner,  and  keep  him  to  make 
hatchets  for  himself,  and  bells,  beads,  and  copper 
ornaments  for  his  daughter. 

This  deeply-interesting  incident  has  been  honored 
by  the  muse  in  the  following  spirited  and  graphic 
lines  of  General  George  P.  Morris,  which,  in  addi- 
tion to  their  other  commendable  qualities,  contain  a 
beautiful  tribute  to  the  disinterested  kindness  of 
woman 

THE     CHIEFTAIN'S     DAUGHTER. 

Upon  the  barren  sand 

A  single  captive  stood  ; 
Around  him  came,  with  bow  and  brand, 

The  red  men  of  the  wood. 
Like  him  of  old,  his  doom  he  hears, 

Rockbound  on  ocean's  rim  ; 
The  chieftain's  daughter  knelt  in  tears, 

And  breathed  a  prayer  for  him. 

Above  his  head  in  air 

The  savage  war  club  swung  ; 
The  frantic  girl,  in  wild  despair, 

Her  arms  about  him  flung. 
Then  shook  the  warriors  of  the  shade, 

Like  leaves  on  aspen  limb, 
Subdued  by  that  heroic  maid 

Who  breathed  a  prayer  for  him. 


KINDNESS    OF    WOMAN.  19$ 

"  Unbind  him  !  "  gasped  the  chief  5 

"  Obey  your  king's  decree  !  " 
lie  kissed  away  her  tears  of  grief, 

And  set  the  captive  free. 
'Tis  ever  thus,  when,  in  life's  storm, 

Hope's  star  to  man  grows  dim, 
An  angel  kneels  in  woman's  form, 

And  breathes  a  prayer  for  him. 

The  last  sentiment  in  these  lines,  expressive  of 
woman's  kindness  in  man's  extremity,  had  received 
frequent  illustrations  in  the  eventful  history  of 
Smith,  of  which  he  makes  honorable  mention  in 
the  dedication  of  his  "  Generall  Historie  of  Vir- 
ginia "  to  Lady  Frances,  Duchess  of  Richmond. 
After  apologizing  for  the  want  of  literary  excel- 
lence in  the  composition  of  his  book,  he  adds, 
"  Yet  my  comfort  is,  that  heretofore  honorable  and 
vertuous  ladies,  and  comparable  but  amongst  them- 
selves, have  offered  me  rescue  and  protection  in 
any  greatest  dangers  ;  even  in  foreign  parts,  I  have 
ielt  relief  from  that  sex.  The  beauteous  lady 
Tragabigzanda,  when  I  was  a  slave  to  the  Turks, 
did  all  she  could  to  secure  me.  When  I  overcame 
the  Bashaw  of  Nalbrits,  in  Tartaria,  the  charitable 
lady  Callamata  supplied  my  necessities.  In  the 
utmost  of  many  extremities,  that  blessed  Pocahon- 
tas, the  great  king's  daughter  of  Virginia,  oft  saved 
my  life.  When  I  escaped  the  cruelty  of  pirates 
and  most  furious  storms,  a  long  time  alone  in  a 
17 


194  HUMANE    CHILDREN. 

small  boat  at  sea,  and  driven  ashore  in  France, 
the  good  lady  Madame  Chanoyes  bountifully  as- 
sisted me."  He  then  appeals  to  the  duchess  for  a 
continuance  of  the  same  pleasant  experience,  by 
saying  to  her,  with  reference  to  his  faults  of  style, 
"  My  imperfections  have  no  help  but  the  shrine  of 
your  glorious  name  to  be  sheltered  from  censorious 
condemnation.  Vouchsafe  some  glimpse  of  your 
honorable  aspect,  to  accept  these  my  labors,  to 
protect  them  under  the  shadow  of  your  excellent 
name." 

Pocahontas  was  not  the  only  one  of  the  high- 
minded  family  of  Powhatan  who  manifested  an 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  Smith.  A  son  of  the 
king,  named  Nantaquaus,  brother  to  Pocahontas, 
sympathized  with  her,  and  espoused  the  cause  of 
the  prisoner  with  much  warmth.  He  was  a  youth 
of  commanding  personal  appearance,  and  of  great 
courage.  It  was  a  most  favorable  providence  for 
Smith  that  these  two  children  of  the  renowned 
chief  became   so    deeply  interested  in   his  fortunes. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

Smith  released.  —  His  Suspicions.  —  The  Cannon  and  .he  Grind- 
stone.—  Powder  frightens.  —  Plot  crested. — The  President 
imprisoned.  —  Pocahontas  again.  —  Her  timely  Supplies.  — 
Smith  regarded  with  Reverence.  —  His  Prediction  fulfilled.  — 
Ceremonial  Visit.  —  Newport  frightened. —  Powhatan's  State.— 
Smith  visits  him  fearlessly.  —  His  Reception.  —  Newport  gathers 
Courage.  —  Royal  Shrewdness.  —  Newport  cheated.  —  Smith's 
Indignation.  —  His  successful  Cunning.  —  The  Biter  bitten. 

Two  days  after  Smith's  remarkable  deliverance, 
through  the  courageous  interference  of  young  Poca- 
hontas,  he  was  removed  by  the  order  of  Powhatan 
to  a  large  house  that  was  situated  some  distance  in 
the  woods.  A  fire  was  kindled,  a  mat  spread  for 
him,  and  he  was  there  left  alone. 

Whilst  Smith  was  there  reflecting  upon  his  con- 
dition, and  contriving  by  what  means  he  might  get 
back  to  Jamestown,  there  fell  upon  his  ear  "  the 
most  dolefullest  noise  he  ever  heard."  It  appeared 
to  proceed  from  behind  a  mat  which  divided  the 
house.  But  by  whom  it  was  made,  or  what  it  por- 
tended, he  knew  not.  Presently  Powhatan  entered, 
arrayed  and  painted  in  such  hideous  fashion  as  more 
nearly  to  resemble  some  evil  spirit  than  a  human 
being.  He  was  accompanied  by  two  hundred  others 
equally  repulsive  in  appearance.  Smith's  anxiety 
at  this   unexpected   visit,  if  he  had   any,  was  soon 


196  powhatan's  offer. 

relieved  by  Powhatan  drawing  up  to  him  and  kindly 
saying,  "  We  are  now  friends,  and  you  must  go  to 
Jamestown  and  send  me  two  great  guns  and  a  grind- 
stone, for  which  I  will  give  you  the  country  of  Capa- 
howsick,  and  ever  hereafter  will  esteem  you  as  my  son 
Nantaquaus."  This  communication  would  have  been 
very  agreeable  to  Smith  if  he  had  placed  confidence 
in  it.  But  as  it  was,  he  listened  to  it  with  great 
doubt.  It  seemed  too  good  to  be  true.  On  the 
next  day,  however,  evidence  was  furnished  of  Pow- 
hatan's good  intentions,  by  his  deputing  twelve  men 
to  guide  Captain  Smith  to  Jamestown.  Smith,  how- 
ever, was  still  doubtful.  Whilst  on  the  journey,  he 
expected  every  hour  to  be  put  to  death  one  way  or 
the  other.  That  night  they  encamped  in  the  woods, 
and  the  next  morning  they  arrived  at  Jamestown. 

In  compliance  with  the  wishes  of  Powhatan, 
Smith  showed  the  savages  two  demi-culverins,  (can- 
non which  would  throw  a  nine-pound  ball,)  and  a 
millstone,  and  told  them  those  were  the  articles 
which  they  were  to  carry  to  their  chief.  They  made 
an  effort  to  lift  them ;  but  finding  it  impossible,  they 
were  obliged  to  abandon  the  intention  of  taking 
them  home.  To  make  a  salutary  impression  upon 
their  fears,  arising  from  the  power  of  these  weapons, 
Smith  had  them  loaded  with  powder  and  stones. 
He  then  pointed  them  at  a  great  tree,  which  was 
covered  with   icicles,  and  fired   them.      When   the 


INDIANS    FRIGHTENED.  197 

Indians  heard  their  loud  report,  and  saw  the  boughs 
of  the  tree  and  the  icicles  falling  abundantly  to  the 
ground,  they  ran  off  at  their  swiftest  speed,  half  dead 
with  fright.  After  considerable  effort,  Smith  suc- 
ceeded in  allaying  the  fears  of  his  guides  ;  and  a3 
they  could  not  carry  the  things  Powhatan  had  speci- 
fied, he  gave  them  a  quantity  of  other  articles  t( 
take  as  presents  to  him,  and  also  a  variety  of  toys 
for  themselves,  with  which  they  were  well  satisfied. 
They  then  returned  home. 

Smith  had  been  absent  from  Jamestown  seven 
weeks.  When  he  returned,  he  found  every  thing  itx 
confusion.  No  one  amongst  the  colonists  possessed 
sufficient  influence  to  maintain  order.  Dissensions 
and  quarrels  were  rife.  To  such  a  degree  had  the 
malcontents  proceeded,  that  a  plot  had  been  ar- 
ranged for  an  escape  from  Jamestown  in  the  pin- 
nace. When  information  of  this  was  communicated 
to  Smith,  he  immediately  determined  to  prevent  it. 
Accordingly  he  brought  the  guns  to  bear  upon  the 
vessel,  and  then  with  great  firmness  warned  them 
that  if  they  attempted  to  sail  he  would  sink  them. 
Although  this  decision  and  courage  on  the  part  of 
Smith  defeated  the  project,  yet  so  indignant  were 
the  rebels,  that,  in  revenge,  they  accused  him  of  the 
murder  of  the  two  men  who  were  slain  by  the  In- 
dians whilst  they  were  watching  the  canoe,  and  re- 
solved to  seize  him  and  put  him  to  death,  according 
17* 


198  A    WELCOME    VISITOR. 

to  the  Levitical  Jaw.  But  Smith  was  not  a  man  to 
be  taken  in  such  a  net.  Instead  of  allowing  him- 
self to  be  seized,  he  at  once  seized  his  accusers,  one 
of  whom  was  President  Ratcliffe,  and  confined  them 
till  an  opportunity  was  furnished  for  sending  some 
of  them  to  England. 

One  day  a  young  Indian  girl  came  into  the  set- 
tlement, who  seemed  to  be  a  person  of  considerable 
distinction,  as  she  was  accompanied  by  a  train  of 
attendants,  who  obsequiously  obeyed  her  commands, 
and  had  in  their  hands  various  articles  of  food,  which 
they  disposed  of  according  to  her  directions.  None 
of  the  colonists  knew  her;  no  one  could  speak  with 
her  until  she  was  brought  to  Smith.  So  soon  as  he 
saw  her,  he  extended  to  her  his  hand,  received  her 
with  great  cordiality,  and  appeared  as  delighted  as 
if  she  had  been  his  only  daughter.  It  was  his  young 
deliverer,  Pocahontas.  She  had  come  with  a  reti- 
nue, bringing  provisions  to  supply  the  wants  of  the 
colonists.  Nothing  could  have  been  more  accepta- 
ble, for  they  were  reduced  to  great  straits.  Every 
four  or  five  days  this  youthful  princess  encountered 
the  severity  of  the  cold,  and  the  disagreeableness  of 
a  winter's  journey  through  the  forests,  and  over  hill 
and  river,  with  her  retinue,  to  furnish  the  colony 
with  supplies,  by  which  means  "  she  saved  many  of 
their  lives,  that  else  for  all  this  would  have  starvod 
with  hunger." 


PREDICTION    FULFILLED.  190 

„  Several  of  the  other  natives  were  also  in  the  habit 
of  visiting  the  colony  and  bringing  food  ;  some,  they 
said,  were  presents  for  Captain  Smith  from  Pow- 
hatan and  Pocahontas.  These  were  always  received 
as  donations.  But  on  the  rest  the  English  fixed  a 
price,  and  paid  for  them. 

It  seems  that  Smith's  deportment  during  his  cap- 
tivity had  made  such  an  impression  upon  the  savages, 
that  they  now  regarded  him  as  some  very  exalted 
and  powerful  personage,  —  a  kind  of  demigod,  — and 
were  ready  to  obey  his  slightest  wish.  They  knew 
that  he  was  the  worshipper  of  the  God  who  created 
all  things,  and  in  speaking  of  the  divine  Being  they 
called  him  the  "God  of  Captain  Smith." 

A  circumstance  which  greatlv  increased  their  rev- 
erence  for  Smith  was  the  fulfilment  of  one  of  his 
predictions.  He  had  told  the  Indians  that  before 
long  a  great  vessel  would  be  seen,  with  large  white 
sails,  bringing  his  father  to  him.  And  as,  about  the 
time  he  specified,  a  vessel  did  arrive  from  England 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Newport,  whom 
Smith  styled  his  father,  the  Indians  believed  he  pos- 
sessed the  power  of  foretelling  future  events,  and 
reverenced  him  accordingly. 

This  arrival  produced  an  unfavorable  effect  upon 
the  traffic  between  the  English  and  the  Indians.  It 
had  been  Smith's  policy  to  hold  his  articles  at  a  high 
price,  so  that  the  natives  might  not  purchase  them 


200  Newport's  bad  policy. 

too  easily,  nor  obtain  too  many  of  them.  He  knew 
that  if  they  began  to  undervalue  them,  or  if  the 
demand  for  them  was  destroyed,  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult for  him  to  purchase  food  with  them.  He  there- 
fore parted  with  them  at  a  high  rate.  But  after 
Newport's  arrival,  another  policy  prevailed.  As  the 
president  and  council  were  jealous  of  the  influence 
of  Smith  among  the  natives,  to  lessen  it  they  gave 
them  four  times  as  much  for  their  commodities  as 
Smith  had  appointed.  Besides  this,  they  allowed  the 
sailors,  who  had  come  over  in  the  ship,  to  trade  with 
the  Indians  on  their  own  account,  and  to  make  such 
bargains  as  they  pleased.  The  consequence  wras,  the 
market  was  soon  glutted  with  English  trinkets ;  and 
a  pound  of  copper,  or  of  glass  beads,  would  not  pro- 
cure as  much  as  an  ounce  had  previously.  The 
finishing  blow  was  given  to  the  trade  by  Captain 
Newport's  profuse  presents  to  King  Powhatan. 
These  donations  gave  Powhatan  exalted  ideas  of 
Newport,  and  made  him  very  anxious  to  have  an 
interview  with  him. 

In  a  few  days  arrangements  were  made  for  New- 
port to  visit  him.  It  was  a  great  occasion,  both  at 
Jamestown  and  in  the  village  of  Werowocomoco. 

It  was  understood,  both  among  the  English  and 
the  Indians,  that  this  was  to  be  an  important  cere- 
monial visit  of  the  most  distinguished  white  man 
in  America  to  the   most  powerful   native   king,  and 


THE    C  VPTAIN    AND    THE    KING.  2Ui 

therefore  both  people  entered  into  it  with  becoming 
enthusiasm.  To  make  a  suitable  impression  upon 
the  savage  monarch  of  the  forest,  as  well  as  to  in- 
sure his  own  safety,  Newport  was  accompanied  with 
a  body  guard  of  thirty  or  forty  picked  men.  He 
was  also  attended  by  Captain  Smith  and  Mr.  Matthew 
Scrivener,  a  gentleman  of  intelligence  and  discretion, 
who  had  recently  arrived  in  the  settlement.  There 
was  great  excitement  at  Jamestown  as  the  little  bark 
pushed  off  on  her  voyage  to  the  Indian  king.  There 
was  as  much  at  Powhatan's  village  upon  her  arrival 
there.  When  Captain  Newport  saw  the  great  num- 
ber of  Indians,  with  their  grim  visages,  their  painted 
bodies,  and  their  bows  and  arrows,  who  had  assem- 
bled to  welcome  them,  not  being  accustomed  to  such 
scenes,  he  became  alarmed,  and  hesitated  to  go 
ashore  for  fear  of  treachery,  imprisonment,  and 
death.  Smith,  therefore,  to  whose  breast  fear  was 
a  stranger,  volunteered  to  land  himself,  and,  with  a 
company  of  twenty  men,  to  brave  all  dangers;  and 
call  on  Powhatan.  Leaving  the  vessel,  he  was  es- 
corted to  the  village  by  two  or  three  hundreds  of 
savages.  "  Powhatan  strained  himself  upon  this 
occasion  to  the  utmost  of  his  greatness  to  entertain 
them,  with  great  shouts  of  joy,  orations,  and  protes- 
tations, and  with  the  most  sumptuous  and  plentiful 
banquet  he  could  provide.  He  sat  on  a  bed  of  mats, 
with  a  pillow  of  leather,  embroidered  with  pearl  and 


•202  powhatan's  state. 

white  beads,  and  was  clothed  in  a  robe  of  skins  as 
large  as  an  Irish  mantle.  At  his  head  and  feet  sat 
a  handsome  young  woman,  and  on  each  side  the 
house  twenty  of  his  concubines,  with  their  heads 
and  shoulders  painted  red,  and  a  great  chain  of 
white  beads  about  each  of  their  necks.  Before  them 
sat  his  chief  men,  in  the  like  order;  and  above  forty 
platters  of  fine  bread  stood  in  two  files  on  each  side 
of  the  door ;  four  or  five  hundred  people  attended 
as  a  guard ;  and  proclamation  was  made  that  none, 
upon  pain  of  death,  should  presume  to  do  the  Eng- 
lish any  wrong  or  discourtesy." 

The  day  was  spent  by  Smith  in  renewing  his  ac- 
quaintance with  those  whom  he  had  seen  before,  in 
feasting,  and  in  witnessing  a  variety  of  Indian  sports, 
which  were  performed  for  his  amusement.  He  and 
his  guard  spent  the  night  among  the  natives. 

By  the  next  day,  Newport  had  gathered  sufficient 
courage  to  venture  on  shore.  He  was  received  in 
great  state  by  Powhatan,  who  extended  to  him  all 
the  courtesies  belonging  to  Indian  etiquette.  Sev- 
eral days  were  spent  in  feasting  and  amusements ; 
these  latter  consisting  of  feats  of  strength  and  a<j;il- 
ity,  and  especially  of  various  dances,  in  which  there 
was  an  abundance  of  strange  antics  and  uncouth 
gesticulations  with  heads,  hands,  and  feet.  After 
this  the'  entered  upon  the  sober  business  of  trade. 

Although  in  civilization  Powhatan  was  far  behind 


Powhatan's  cunning.  203 

Captain  Newport,  yet  for  cunning  shrewdness  in 
driving  a  bargain  he  proved  himself  his  superior. 
He  pretended  to  scorn  the  little  retail  trade  which 
was  being  carried  on  between  the  English  and  his 
own  followers.  He  therefore  told  Newport,  through 
Captain  Smith  as  interpreter,  that  as  Newport  was 
a  great  chief  as  well  as  himself,  it  was  undignified 
for  such  distinguished  persons  as  they  two  were  to  be 
engaged  in  petty  peddling  for  mere  trifles,  and  there- 
fore, if  Newport  would  bring  out  and  lay  down  in  a 
pile  together  all  the  commodities  which  he  had 
brought,  he  would  select  from  them  what  he  liked, 
and  then  pay  him  what  he  believed  they  were  worth. 
Thus  the  wily  chief  wanted  to  buy,  at  Ms  own  price, 
any  of  the  articles  which  the  English  had.  Smith, 
who  knew  Powhatan's  character  better  than  any 
other  Englishman,  told  Newport  that  the  only  object 
of  the  chief  was  to  cheat  him.  But  Newport  paid 
no  heed  to  this  remark,  and  thinking  that,  by  a  dis- 
play of  unusual  liberality  on  his  part,  he  could  prob- 
ably obtain  from  Powhatan  any  thing  that  he  wished, 
he  consented  to  accept  of  the  chief's  proposal. 
Accordingly  a  large  quantity  of  all  kinds  of  English 
goods  was  displayed  before  the  rejoicing  eyes  of 
Powhatan,  who  selected  from  them  every  thing  that 
he  wanted.  But  when  he  came  to  pay  for  them, 
he  valued  his  corn  at  such  high  prices  that  he  did 
not  give  four  bushels  for  the   articles  which  he  had 


204  THE    TABLES    TURNED. 

chosen,  when  he  ought  to  have  paid  twenty  hogs- 
heads !  Captain  Smith  was  indignant.  And  as  his 
caution  to  Newport  had  heen  unheeded,  and  the 
matter  had  turned  out  as  he  had  predicted,  an  alien- 
ation of  feeling  grew  up  between  these  two  English 
officers. 

Policy,  however,  prompted  both  of  them  to  con- 
ceal their  anger. 

Smith  was  extremely  reluctant  to  have  the  trade 
close  so  unfavorably  for  the  English,  and  was  deter- 
mined to  make  another  exchange,  if  possible,  where 
the  advantage  on  his  side  should  be  as  great  as  that 
which  the  shrewd  Indian  had  just  gained.  He  there- 
fore carelessly  exposed  to  the  chief  several  trifles  to 
excite  his  cupidity.  The  quick  eyes  of  Powhatan 
were  fastened  upon  some  blue  beads ;  but  when  he 
expressed  a  wish  for  them,  Smith  pretended  that  they 
were  so  very  rare  and  costly  that  he  could  not  part 
with  them,  except  at  a  great  price.  This  increased 
Powhatan's  desire  to  obtain  them.  He  importuned 
a  long  time  for  them  without  success.  The  more 
anxious  he  was  to  obtain  them,  the  more  unwilling 
Smith  pretended  to  be  to  part  with  them,  telling  him 
that  they  were  composed  of  a  very  rare  and  costly 
substance,  of  the  color  of  the  skies,  and  not  to  be 
worn  except  by  the  greatest  kings  upon  earth.  Pow- 
hatan now  became  half  crazy  to  possess  these  strange 
aristocratic  jewels.      After  tantalizing  him  for  a  long 


THE    BITER   BITTEN.  205 

time,  and  exciting  his  covetonsness  to  the  highest 
degree,  Smith  finally  consented  to  let  him  have  a 
few,  but  only  at  an  exorbitant  price.  So  adroitly 
did  he  manage  the  whole  matter,  that  for  one  or  two 
pounds  of  these  worthless  beads,  he  obtained  two  or 
three  hundred  bushels  of  corn.  The  biter  got  bit. 
This  was  an  equivalent  for  Powhatan's  roguery. 
Yet  they  parted  as  friends,  each  probably  feeling 
that  he  had  the  advantage  of  the  other.  How  much 
better  open  frankness  and  perfect  honesty  on  both 
sides  would  have  been,  instead  of  all  this  duplicity  ! 
18 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Value  of  blue  Beads. —  A  Conflagration. — Mr.  Hunt's  Trials 
and  Patience.  —  Gold  Fever.  —  The  Phoenix.  —  Turkeys  and 
Swords. —  Weapons  stolen.  —  Smith's  Decision.  —  Powhatan 
negotiates  throujrh  Pocahontas. —  She  is  successful. — 'Unrea- 
sonable  Complaints.  —  Cedar  against  Gold.  —  Chesapeake  Bay 
explored.  —  A  noble  Chief. —  Places  named.  —  Suffer  for  Wa- 
ter. —  A  Storm.  —  Limbo.  —  Shirt  Sails.  —  Wild  Men.  —  Strat- 
agem defeated.  —  Effects  of  Kindness.  —  Indian  Merchants.— 
The  Party  discouraged.  —  Smith's  Perseverance.  —  Treachery 
discovered.  —  Timely  Supplies. 

After  Newport  and  Smith  had  finished  their 
ceremonial  visit  and  trading  at  Werowocomoco, 
they  went  to  Paraunkey,  where  they  were  received 
in  the  same  manner,  with  feastings,  dancing,  and 
other  sports.  When  the  trading  began,  the  blue 
beads  were  brought  forward,  and  were  sold  at  the 
same  extravagant  rates  as  to  Powhatan.  The  result 
was,  that  they  rose  so  high  in  the  estimation  of  the 
Indians,  that  no  one  dared  to  wear  them  but  the 
highest  chiefs,  or  their  wives  and  children. 

After  finishing  their  visits,  the  party  returned 
again  to  Jamestown.  Immediately  after  their  ar- 
rival, the  corn  which  they  had  cbtained  was  care- 
fully stowed  in  the  storehouse.  But  by  some  acci- 
dent, a  conflagration  broke  out.  The  storehouse 
Mas  burned.     Several  other  houses,  being  covered 


A    GOLD    MANIA.  207 

only  with  thatch,  caught  fire,  and  were  also  con- 
sumed. Eight  or  ten  yards  of  theii  palisades 
were  destroyed,  with  a  considerable  amount  of 
arms,  bedding,  clothing,  and  private  provision. 
Among  the  greatest  sufferers  was  their  good  pastor, 
Rev.  Mr.  Hunt,  who  lost  all  his  library  and  all  his 
wardrobe,  except  the  clothes  he  happened  to  have 
on.  Yet  was  he  never  heard  to  murmur  at  his  loss. 
As  this  happened  in  the  winter  of  1607,  which  was 
one  of  unusual  severity,  it  must  have  subjected 
those   who  were  burned   out  to  great  hardships. 

After  this,  there  was  much  suffering  among  the 
colonists,  both  from  the  scarcity  of  food,  and  the 
severity  of  the  cold  ;  so  that  more  than  half  of 
their  number  died. 

Notwithstanding  this,  a  gold  mania  broke  out. 
The  "  refiners,  with  their  golden  promises,  made  all 
men  their  slaves,  in  hope  of  recompenses.  There 
was  no  talk,  no  hope,  no  work,  but  dig  gold,  wash 
gold,  refine  gold,  load  gold;  such  a  bruit  of  gold, 
that  one  mad  fellow  desired  to  be  buried  in  the 
sands,  lest  they  should,  by  their  art,  make  gold  of 
his  bones."  Smith  did  not  believe  that  the  yellow 
shining  dust,  which  had  set  the  whole  colony  crazy, 
was  gold ;  and  nothing  troubled  him  more  than  to 
see  so  much  time  and  strength  spent  in  loading 
such  a  "  drunken  ship  with  so  much  gilded  dirt." 

After  quantities  of  this  worthless   sand  had  been 


208  THE    PHCENIX. 

stored  in  the  vessel,  Newport  returned  home,  taking 
with  him  Wing-field  and  Archer,  that  they  might 
obtain  some  other  employment  in   England. 

After  Newport  had  left,  the  Phoenix,  Captain 
Nelson,  arrived.  Though  Nelson  departed  from 
England  in  company  with  Newport,  he  had  been 
driven  by  stress  of  weather  into  the  West  Indies, 
where  he  had  passed  the  winter.  He  staid  so  long 
that  he  was  given  up  for  lost.  His  arrival,  there- 
fore, was  a  great  relief  to  the  colony,  and  the  more 
so  as  he  was  able  to  supply  them  with  provisions, 
which,  added  to  what  they  had,  were  sufficient  to 
last  them  six  months. 

Up  to  this  time,  it  had  been  the  policy  of  the 
English  to  withhold  from  the  natives  all  English 
weapons.  They  had  steadily  refused  to  barter 
swords,  guns,  and  powder  for  any  thing  which  the 
Indians  could  bring.  This  was  wise  ;  and  if  the 
policy  had  been  persevered  in  as  a  constant,  settled 
practice,  it  would  have  been  far  better  for  the  col- 
onists ;  for  in  that  case,  they  would  always  have 
maintained  their  superiority  over  the  natives.  Bows, 
arrows,  and  clubs  could  never  have  contended  suc- 
cessfully with  swords,  guns,  and  powder. 

Powhatan  was  extremely  anxious  to  obtain  some 
swords.  To  accomplish  this  object,  he  sent  to 
Captain  Newport,  just  before  he  left,  twenty  tur- 
keys, with  the  request  that  he  would   send  i.i  retu,  ■ 


TURKEYS  FOR  SWORDS.  209 

twenty  swords.  Newport,  in  compliance  with  hia 
wishes,  unwisely  sent  the  weapons.  After  New- 
part's  departure,  the  cunning  chief  sent  Captain 
Smith  a  quantity  of  the  same  fowls ;  but  Smith 
was  too  shrewd  to  furnish,  as  he  desired,  more 
swords.  This  gave  Powhatan  offence,  and  he 
ordered  his  men  to  obtain  weapons  from  the  Eng» 
lish  by  stratagem,  force,  or  any  other  means.  In 
obedience  to  this  command,  which  was  equivalent 
to  a  declaration  of  war,  the  Indians  formed  am- 
buscades around  Jamestown,  and  whenever  any  of 
the  colonists  made  their  appearance,  they  would 
seize  them,  and  take  from  them  their  weapons. 
They  became  insufferably  troublesome,  prowling 
around  the  town,  seizing  all  who  went  abroad,  and 
even  attacking  the  men  at  their  work,  and  stealing 
from  them  their  guns.  As  the  council  in  England 
had  given  strict  orders  to  keep  on  good  terms  with 
the  natives,  President  Ratcliffe  was  unwilling  to 
adopt  any  retaliatory  measures.  Being  probably 
emboldened  by  what  appeared  to  be  a  want  of 
courage  on  the  part  of  the  English,  they  had  the 
insolence  to  come  upon  Captain  Smith.  He  was 
not  a  man  to  receive  an  insult  patiently,  and  there- 
fore turned  upon  them  with  great  show  of  severity. 
He  chased  them  in  various  directions,  and  seized 
seven  of  them,  whom  he  whipped  and  then  impris- 
oned. In  revenge  they  seized  two  Englishmen, 
18* 


210        smith's  insult  and  retaliation. 

and  then  came  in  large  numbers,  and  threatened  to 
force  Smith  to  deliver  up  his  prisoners,  or  else  they 
would  put  the  whole  colony  to  death.  Nothing 
daunted  by  their  murderous  threat,  Smith  boldly 
sallied  out  against  them,  and  in  less  than  an  hour, 
he  brought  them  to  such  terms  that  they  were  glad 
to  deliver  up  the  two  men  whom  they  had  taken, 
and  make  peace  without  saying  any  thing  more 
about  those  whom   Smith  held  captive. 

Smith  was  determined  to  ascertain  what  he  did 
not  then  know,  and  that  was,  under  whose  orders 
these  fellows  were  acting.  For  this  purpose,  he 
closely  examined  his  prisoners  ;  and  to  inspire  them 
with  suitable  terror,  he  ordered  several  volleys  of 
musketry  to  be  tired,  and  then  told  them  that  an 
Indian  had  been  shot  and  killed  because  he  would 
not  confess  under  whose  directions  he  acted,  and 
what  was  the  object  aimed  at.  This  produced  the 
desired  effect,  and  brought  a  confession  from  them 
all.  In  two  things  there  was  an  agreement  between 
all  their  statements  :  first,  that  Powhatan  was  the 
instigator,  and  secondly,  that  his  object  was  to 
murder  them   with  their  own   weapons. 

Yet  Powhatan,  with  the  duplicity  of  a  cunning 
hypocrite,  sent  apologies  and  presents  to  James- 
town, begging  that  they  would  excuse  the  unauthor- 
ized injuries  which  some  of  his  hot-headed  followers 
had  inflicted  upon   the  colony,  and  asking  for  the 


POCAHONTAS    AN    AMBASSADRESS.  211 

deliverance  of  the  prisoners,  with  professions  of  his 
love  forever.  To  render  the  negotiation  more  suc- 
cessful, he  sent  his  favorite  daughter,  Pocahontas, 
as  the  ambassadress  to  convey  his  message. 

Smith  was  disposed  neither  to  be  in  a  hurry  to 
comply  with  the  deceitful  Indian's  request,  nor  to 
free  the  prisoners  without  some  salutary  punishment. 
He  therefore  gave  them  such  correction  as  he 
deemed  proper,  and  then  detained  them  two  days ; 
after  which  he  delivered  them  to  Pocahontas,  as- 
suring them  that  it  was  only  on  her  account  that  he 
released  them   at  all. 

The  spirit  and  firmness  with  which  Smith  met 
the  encroachments  of  the  Indians  did  not  meet  the 
approval  of  his  colleagues.  They  accused  him  of 
cruelty,  although  he  had  studiously  avoided  putting 
any  to  death.  The  ingratitude  of  these  complaints 
was  evinced  by  the  fact,  that,  prior  to  this,  they 
sometimes  had  "  peace  and  war  twice  in  a  day," 
and  scarcely  a  week  passed  by  without  some  treach- 
erous villany  on  the  part  of  the  natives  ;  whereas, 
now,  the  mere  name  of  Smith  was  a  sufficient  terror 
to  awe  them  into  good  behavior. 

As  the  time  had  now  arrived  for  the  Phoenix  to 
return,  it  was  a  question  which  elicited  considerable 
discussion,  With  what  shall  she  be  loaded  ?  Martin, 
whose  imagination  was  so  fired  with  his  fanciful 
discovery    of   a    gold    mine,   was    anxious   that   she 


212        CHESAPEAKE  BAY  EXPLORED. 

should  be  laden  with  his  shining  dirt  ;  but  Smith, 
who  had  no  confidence  in  its  value,  objected.  He 
thought  a  cargo  of  cedar  would  be  more  profitable. 
His  counsels  prevailed.  The  /essel  was  laden 
with  cedar,  and  departed.  Martin,  being  so  thor- 
oughly inoculated  with  the  gold  mania  as  to  be 
unserviceable  to  the  colony,  and  desirous  of  enjoy- 
ing the  honor  of  discovering  the  gold  mine,  was 
willingly  allowed  to  return  in  her  to    England. 

At  the  time  of  the  departure  of  the  Phoenix, 
Captain  Smith,  in  company  with  Dr.  Russell  and 
thirteen  others,  undertook  to  explore  Chesapeake 
Bay  in  an  open  boat  of  between  two  and  three  tons' 
burden.  They  left  Jamestown  June  2,  160S,  and 
kept  in  company  with  the  Phoenix  until  they  reached 
Cape  Henry,  when  they  parted  with  her. 

Crossing  the  bay  to  the  eastern  shore,  they  fell 
in  with  some  islands,  called,  after  the  captain, 
Smith's  Isles.  As  they  approached  Cape  Charles, 
they  saw  two  stout,  savage-looking  Indians,  armed 
with  long  poles  like  javelins,  headed  with  bone  — 
perhaps  spears  with  which  to  take  fish.  They 
demanded  of  the  English  who  they  were,  and  what 
they  wanted.  After  a  little  intercourse,  they  ap- 
peared friendly,  and  directed  the  explorers  to  Ac- 
comack, the  residence  of  their  chief,  by  whom 
they  were  kindly  received.  This  wcrowancc,  as 
the  chiefs  were  called,  was  the   most  noble-looking 


DISCOVERIES.  213 

Indian,  and  the  most  courteous  in  his  manners,  of 
any  they  had  seen  in  the  country.  As  he  spoke  the 
same  language  that  Powhatan  used,  it  was  not 
difficult  for  Smith  to  hold  conversation  with  him. 
"  He  told  us,"  says  the  original  narrative,  "  of  a 
strange  accident  lately  happened  him,  and  it  was 
two  children  being  dead.  Some  extreme  passions 
or  dreaming  visions,  phantasies,  or  affection  moved 
their  parents  again  to  revisit  their  dead  carcases, 
whose  benummed  bodies  reflected  to  the  eyes  of  the 
beholders  such  delightful  countenances,  as  though 
they  had  regained  their  vital  spirits.  This,  as  a 
miracle,  drew  many  to  behold  them,  all  which, 
being  a  great  part  of  his  people,  not  long  after  died, 
and  but  few  escaped."  Leaving  this  courteous  yet 
afflicted  chief,  they  continued  their  excursion,  nam- 
ing the  highest  land  they  saw  on  the  main  Keale's 
Hill,  after  one  of  the  company  ;  and  certain  unin 
habited  islands  in  the  bay,  Russell's  Isles,  after  the 
doctor  who  was  with  them.  These  have,  since  been 
called  Tangier  Islands.  They  now  began  to  suffer 
for  water,  and  went  ashore  to  find  some,  but  weve 
unsuccessful.  They  soon  entered  the  River  Wigh- 
cocomoco,  afterwards  called  Pokomoke.  The 
northern  point,  at  the  mouth  of  this  river,  they 
named  Watkins  Point,  after  James  Watkins,  one 
of  the  soldiers  who  accompanied  them.  The  natives 
on  this  river    at    first   made    some   warlike  demon- 


214  SUFFER  NGS    FROM    THIRST. 

straticras  ;   but  ere   long,  they  changed   their  policy 
and  with  songs,   dances,  and  much   mirth,   became 
very  tractable. 

The  men  went  ashore  and  searched  the  cabins  of 
the  Indians  for  water.  They  found  only  a  small 
quantity,  that  was  extremely  dirty ;  and  before  two 
days  more  had  expired,  so  great  were  their  suffer- 
ings from  thirst,  that  they  would  have  refused  an 
equal  quantity  of  gold  for  some  of  that  puddle 
water.  Seeing  another  high  point  of  land,  they 
went  ashore,  and  saw,  to  their  great  joy,  a  pond  of 
fresh  water.  No  sight  could  have  been  more 
acceptable.  But,  alas !  when  they  attempted  to  slake 
their  thirst  with  it,  thev  found  it  so  exceedimrlv  hot 
that  they  could  scarcely  drink  it.  The  place  they 
named  Point  Plover,  in  honor  of  a  house  in  Britain 
which  on  some  former  occasion  had  relieved  their 
captain  from  certain  troubles.  In  prosecuting  their 
excursion,  they  were  overtaken  by  a  violent  tem- 
pest. The  wind  blew  like  a  hurricane  ;  the  light- 
ning flashed  ;  the  thunder  roared ;  the  waves  rolled 
violently,  throwing  their  white  caps  high  in  the 
air,  and  frequently  leaping  into  the  boat,  filling  it 
with  water,  so  that,  with  the  most  laborious  bailing, 
they  could  scarcely  keep  from  sinking.  To  in- 
crease their  consternation  and  peril,  their  mast  and 
sail  were  carried  away,  and  they  were  compelled  to 
manage  the   vessel  as   best   they  could,   with  their 


THE    PARTY    IN    LIMBO.  215 

oars  only.  They  pulled  for  certain  islands  that 
were  near,  which  they  fortunately  reached  without 
any  additional  mishap,  yet  in  a  very  wretched 
plight.  As  the  weather  continued  stormy  and 
boisterous,  they  were  here  kept  in  limbo  for  two 
days,  from  which  circumstance  they  gave  the  place 
the  name  of  Limbo.  Tliese  are  now  called  Wats's 
Islands. 

When  the  weather  held  up,  they  repaired  their 
vessel  as  well  as  circumstances  would  allow.  They 
experienced  the  greatest  difficulty  in  providing  her 
with  a  sail  ;  but,  as  necessity  is  the  mother  of 
invention,  this  difficulty  was  soon  removed  by  the 
party  taking  their  shirts  and  sowing  them  together 
for  that  purpose. 

Leaving  Limbo,  they  crossed  over  again  to  a 
river  called  Cuscarawock.  When  the  Indians  saw 
them  approaching,  they  appeared  to  be  in  great 
consternation.  Some  ran  in  troops  from  place  to 
place,  hallooing  and  yelling  like  so  many  demons. 
Some  ascended  to  the  tops  of  the  trees,  looking,  as 
they  were  perched  among  the  branches,  like  so 
many  wild  baboons  ;  and  all  of  them,  by  gestures 
and  the  use  of  their  weapons,  expressed  the  most 
violent  passion. 

Smith  wisely  anchored  at  a  considerable  distance 
from  the  shore,  so  that  the  showers  of  arrows 
which  the  natives  sent  towards  him  failed  of  rea^h 


216  VILLANY    FRIGHTENED. 

ir:g  him.  These  useless  warlike  movements  they 
kept  up  a  considerable  length  of  time,  the  English, 
in  the  mean  while,  making  every  sign  of  friendship 
in  their  power. 

The  next  day,  the  Indians  adopted  a  different 
policy.  They  resorted  to  stratagem.  They  came 
down  to  the  shore  unarmed,  every  one  bringing  a 
basket,  as  if  for  purposes  of  trade.  They  engaged 
in  a  dance,  as  though  they  desired  to  amuse  their 
visitors.  All  their  movements  were  apparently 
friendly  ;  but  believing  them  to  intend  nothing  but 
villany,  the  English  discharged  at  them  a  volley 
of  musketry  loaded  with  small  shot,  which  operated 
like  magic  ;  for  in  an  instant  the  whole  army  of 
Indians  fell  prostrate  to  the  ground.  Soon  they 
commenced  their  escape,  some  creeping  on  all 
fours,  and  others  drawing  themselves  along  on  their 
faces,  in  a  manner  which  has  significantly  been 
termed  "  snaking  it,"  until  they  reached  a  great 
cluster  of  reeds,  in  which  they  disappeared  and  lay 
in  ambush.  In  the  evening,  Smith  fired  several 
shot  into  the  reeds,  and  then  landed.  He  saw 
many  baskets,  much  blood,  but  no  natives.  Dis- 
covering some  smoke  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  he  crossed  over  there,  and  found  several 
cabins,  in  each  of  which  was  a  fire,  but  no  natives. 
They  had  fled.  Smith  left  in  these  wigwams  some 
copper,  beads,  bells,  and  looking  glasses,  and  then, 


FRIENDSHIP    AND    TRADE.  217 

rowing  out  into  the  bay,  waited  until  night,  when 
he  returned.  These  little  gifts  of  friendship  pro- 
duced a  decidedly  favorable  effect ;  for  the  next 
morning,  four  Indians  came  to  them  in  a  canoe, 
who  were  treated  with  such  courtesy,  that  after 
they  left,  they  soon  returned,  bringing  twenty  more 
with  them.  As  intercourse  with  these  white  stran- 
gers was  found  to  result  in  no  injury,  they  were  in 
a  little  while  surrounded  with  some  two  or  three 
thousand  men,  women,  and  children,  every  one  of 
whom  presented  them  with  something,  for  which  a 
bead  or  toy  was  regarded  as  ample  compensation. 

So  friendly  were  these  Indians,  that  they  con- 
tended among  themselves  for  the  privilege  of  bring- 
ing water  to  the  English,  staying  with  them  as 
hostages,   or   being  their  guides. 

On  this  river  resided  several  distinct  Indian  tribes, 
amongst  whom  were  the  Nantaquacks,  who  devoted 
more  attention  to  trade  than  the  others.  They 
were  a  tribe  of  Indian  merchants.  They  made  the 
finest  robes,  and  large  quantities  of  the  best  roanoke, 
or  wampum,  which  passed  amongst  the  Indians  as 
money,  and  created  as  much  contention  and  covet- 
ousness  amongst  them  as  gold  and  silver  amongst 
more  civilized  nations. 

Smith  continued  his  explorations  until  his  men, 
who  at  first  were  fearful  that  he  would  be  in  too 
much  haste  to  return,  were  heartily  tired  of  the 
19 


218  THE    POTOMAC. 

business.  Their  bread  was  wet  and  mouldy,  and 
their  arms  so  tired  with  pulling  at  the  oars,  thai 
they  made  bitter  complaints,  and  urged  him  tc 
return.  But  he  reminded  them  of  the  fortitude  of 
Mr.  Ralph  Lane's  company  ;  how  they  determined 
not  to  return  from  their  explorations,  being  willing 
to  live  upon  broth  made  of  dog's  flesh  and  sassafras 
leaves.  He  further  informed  them  that  they  had 
not  accomplished  the  objects  of  the  expedition  ; 
that  he  had  shared  with  them  all  their  inconven- 
ience, and  was  willing  to  endure  the  worst  part 
of  what  was  to  come  ;  that  it  was  not  likely  that 
any  storms  more  severe  than  those  which  they  had 
already  experienced  would  occur,  and  that  it  would 
be  full  as  dangerous  to  return  as  it  would  be  to 
proceed  upon  their  discoveries.  Therefore  said  he 
with  great  firmness,  "  Regain  your  old  spirits,  for 
return  I  will  not  (if  God  please)  till  I  have  seen  the 
Massawomeks,  found  Patowmak,  or  the  head  of 
this   water   you   conceit   to   be   endless." 

A  few  days  after  this,  three  or  four  of  the  boat's 
crew  became  sick,  who  made  such  pitiful  and  earnest 
complaints  to  the  captain,  that  he  reluctantly  con- 
sented to  return.  On  the  16th  of  June,  they 
reached  the  River  Patowmak,  (Potomac.)  As  by 
this  time  the  invalids  had  recovered,  and  the  whole 
party  were  revived  in  spirits,  they  consented  to 
sail   up   this   noble    stream.      For   thirty  miles,  they 


powhatan's  treachery.  219 

saw  not  a  single  native,  though  in  all  probability 
they  were  observed  by  the  Indians,  who  concealed 
themselves  to  draw  them  into  an  ambuscade.  At 
the  end  of  this  distance,  they  fell  in  with  two 
natives,  who  conducted  them  up  a  little  creek 
towards  Onawmanient,  where  they  found  "  the 
woods  were  laid  with  ambuscadoes  to  the  number 
of  three  or  four  thousand  savages,  so  strangely 
painted,  grimed,  and  disguised,  shouting,  yelling, 
and  crying  as  so  many  spirits  from  hell  could  not 
have  showed  more  terrible."  They  made  many 
threatening  bravadoes,  but  without  in  the  least 
degree  alarming  Smith,  who  ordered  some  guns  to 
be  fired  in  such  a  manner  that  the  Indians  might 
see  the  balls  skipping  along  upon  the  top  of  the 
water.  This  produced  an  immediate  and  most 
favorable  change  ;  for  no  sooner  did  the  report  of 
the  guns  reach  the  woods,  than  the  Indians  threw 
their  bows  and  arrows  to  the  ground,  and  proposed 
to  the  English  that  they  should  exchange  hostages 
as  guarantees  for  mutual  good  treatment  during 
their  negotiations.  This  was  done,  and  one  of  the 
company,  named  James  Watkins,  went  six  miles 
through  the  woods  to  their  chief.  Smith  learned 
that  these  Indians  had  been  ordered  by  Powhatan  to 
betray  the  English,  and  that  Powhatan  had  been 
stimulated  to  this  treachery  by  certain  disaffected 
persons  in  Jamestown,  whom  Smith  had  prevented 
from  returning  to  England. 


220  SUPPLIES    OBTAINED. 

During  the  progress  of  the  excursion,  several 
other  companies  of  Indians  pursued  a  similar  course 
of  conduct.  In  some  places,  however,  they  were 
treated  with  great  kindness,  especially  at  Moyaones, 
Nacotchtant,  and  Toags.  When  they  had  gone  up 
as  far  as  the  stream  would  admit  the  boat,  they  met 
a  number  of  savages  coming  down  in  canoes,  well 
stocked  with  the  flesh  of  bears,  deer,  and  other 
animals,  of  whom  our  explorers  obtained  an  abun- 
dant supply. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Another  Mineral  Fever.  —  Frying  Pan  and  Fishes. —  Accident.— 
Stingray. —  Smith's  Grave  dug,  but  not  used.  —  A  disguised 
Boat.  —  Smith  elected  President.  —  Another  Expedition.  —  A 
successful  Artifice. — The  Tockwoghs.  —  The  acceptable  False- 
hood. —  Great  Joy.  —  A  Visit  from  the  Sasquesahanocks.  —  They 
worship  Smith,  and  offer  him  a  Chieftaincy.  —  Treachery  of  the 
Rappahanocks.  —  Todkill's  narrow  Escape.  —  A  novel  Expe- 
dient.—  More  Deception.  —  Indians  whipped  into  Peace.  —  A 
Cluster  of  Evils. 

After  Smith  and  his  company  had  received  the 
supply  of  fresh  meat,  as  related  in  the  close  of  the 
last  chapter,  they  discovered  a  place  where  the  rocks 
and  ground  had  a  highly  metallic  appearance.  One 
spot  appeared  like  sand  mingled  with  yellow  span- 
gles, "  as  if  it  had  been  half  pin  dust."  On  their 
return,  one  of  the  chiefs  gave  them  a  guide  to  con- 
duct them  to  a  mineral  mountain.  The  hostages 
that  they  took  with  them  wore  the  chains  which  they 
were  to  receive  from  the  English  as  presents,  and 
were  proud  to  be  thus  adorned. 

The  mine  proved  to  be  a  rocky  mountain,  like 
antimony,  or  pot  lead.  It  was  soft,  so  as  to  be  easy 
of  excavation.  The  Indians  dig  out  the  ore,  wash 
it  in  a  brook  of  clear  running  water  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  then  put  it  up  in  small  bags  to  sell  all 
over  the  country.  They  use  it  to  paint  their  faces, 
19* 


222  ABUNDANCE    OF    FISH. 

bodies,  and  their  idols,  which  makes  :hem  look 
"  like  blackamoors  dusted  over  with  silver."  Smith 
collected  as  much  of  this  mineral  as  the  boat  would 
carry,  because  Captain  Newport,  to  whom  some  had 
been  given,  had  assured  him  that  he  had  assayed  it,  and 
found  it  to  contain  one  half  silver.  He  was  doomed, 
however,  to  a  disappointment ;  all  he  collected  proved 
to  be  worthless.  It  contained  plenty  of  dirt,  but  no 
silver. 

In  some  places  which  they  passed  through,  fish 
were  in  such  abundance  that  they  filled  the  water. 
As  the  boat  drove  amongst  them,  it  seemed  as  if 
they  could  be  scooped  up  with  a  dipper,  or  a  pail. 
Having  nothing  better  for  the  purpose,  Smith  seized 
a  frying  pan,  and  attempted  to  catch  some  with  that. 
But  they  were  too  alert  for  him.  After  speaking 
of  their  great  abundance  and  good  quality,  he  coolly 
adds,  "  but  they  are  not  to  be  caught  with  frying 
pans." 

In  another  place  they  found  large  numbers  of 
fish  of  different  kinds,  which  had  been  left  by  the 
ebb  tide  among  the  shallow  water  of  the  rushes. 
As  the  boat  was  aground,  Smith  amused  himself  by 
spearing  them  with  his  sword.  His  example  was 
contagious.  Soon  the  whole  company  were  em- 
ployed in  a  similar  manner.  They  found  a  sword 
a  much  better  instrument  for  taking  them  than  a 
frying   pan.      Whilst    amusing   themselves  with  this 


SMITH    IN    GREAT    DANGER.  223 

kind    of  sport,   a   painful   incident    occurred,  which 
came  near  proving  fatal. 

Captain  Smith  pierced  a  fish  of  a  very  singular 
shape,  the  extremity  of  whose  body  terminated  in  a 
long,  narrow  tail,  resembling  a  riding  whip,  which 
was  tipped  with  a  venomous  sting,  two  or  three 
inches  in  length,  and  toothed  on  each  side  like  a 
saw.  Not  knowing  the  nature,  nor  the  habits,  of  the 
creature,  Captain  Smith  attempted  to  remove  it  from 
his  sword  with  his  hands,  in  the  same  way  he  had 
the  others,  when  it  suddenly  struck  his  wrist  with 
its  sting.  No  blood  was  drawn  ;  no  wound  was 
seen,  except  a  red  or  blue  spot  ;  yet  the  poison  took 
immediate  effect,  for  instantly  he  experienced  ex- 
treme pain.  His  hand  began  to  swell,  then  his  arm, 
and  then  his  shoulder,  until,  after  four  hours  of  in- 
tense suffering,  he  was  considered  beyond  recovery 
and  the  company  commenced  with  great  sorrow  to 
make  arrangements  for  his  funeral.  They  even  pro- 
ceeded so  far  as  to  dig  his  grave  on  an  island  near 
by,  according  to  his  directions.  But  by  the  inter- 
vention of  a  kind  Providence,  they  had  no  occasion 
to  use  it.  Dr.  Russell  probed  the  wound,  and  then 
applied  an  oil,  which  produced  such  favorable  effects 
that  before  night  the  pain  was  subdued,  the  swelling 
relieved,  and  the  patient  so  far  restored,  that  he  ate 
of  the  fish  for  his  supper,  to  the  great  joy  of  all  the 
party.  The  island,  near  which  this  occurred,  they 
called  Stingray  Isle,  after  the  fish. 


224  SMITH     CHOSEN    PRESIDENT. 

When  they  entered  James  River  on  their  way 
home,  they  disguised  their  boat  with  painted  stream- 
ers and  other  devices  in  such  a  manner  that  she 
was  taken  for  a  Spanish  frigate,  and  created  great 
consternation  in  Jamestown,  until  the  freak  was  dis- 
covered.     They  arrived  there  July  21. 

Smith  found  the  affairs  of  the  colony  in  a  bad 
condition.  The  men  who  came  from  England  by 
the  last  arrival  were  nearly  all  sick.  The  president, 
Ratcliffe,  had  been  guilty  of  great  extravagance,  in 
squandering,  for  his  own  use,  the  property  of  the 
colony,  and  taxing  those  who  could  work  with  the 
unnecessary  task  of  building  him  a  pleasure  house 
in  the  woods.  So  unpopular  had  he  become,  that 
nothing  would  appease  the  excitement  of  the  colo- 
nists but  his  being  deposed,  and  Smith  elected  in  his 
place ;   which  was  accordingly  done. 

On  the  24th  of  July,  Captain  Smith,  after  appoint- 
ing Mr.  Scrivener  president  in  his  place  during  his 
absence,  set  out  on  another  expedition,  to  finish  the 
examination  of  Chesapeake  Bay.  Their  first  ad- 
venture consisted  in  their  meeting,  on  the  second  or 
third  day,  with  six  or  seven  canoes  filled  with  In- 
dians, who  belonged  to  the  powerful  tribes  of  the 
Massawomccs,  who  are  supposed  to  have  been  a 
part  of  the  Iroquois,  or  Six  Nations.  Smith's  com- 
pany consisted  of  twelve  besides  himself.  But  seven 
of  these  were   sick,  so  that  there  were  only  five  fit 


A    CHANGE    PRODl/CED.  225 

for  service.  Smith  therefore  resorted  to  stratagem. 
Covering  up  the  sick  under  a  tarpaulin,  he  took 
their  hats,  fixed  them  on  poles,  and  placed  them  by 
the  side  of  the  barge  between  the  men,  so  as  to 
make  the  number  of  the  company  appear  double 
what  it  was.  To  render  the  deception  perfect,  he 
gave  to  each  of  the  men  who  were  visible  two  guns, 
so  that  it  might  appear  as  if  each  hat  were  a  man 
furnished  with  a  musket.  The  trick  was  successful. 
The  Indians,  who  at  first  bore  down  upon  the  Eng- 
lish as  if  they  intended  to  attack  them,  checked  their 
canoes,  changed  their  course,  and  in  a  few  moments 
fled  from  them  with  the  greatest  speed  to  the  shore. 
They  there  carefully  watched  the  barge,  which  had 
been  following  them,  until  she  came  to  anchor.  So 
suspicious  were  they  that  these  visitors  meditated 
some  evil  design  against  them,  that  it  was  a  long 
time  before  any  of  them  would  venture  to  approach 
the  barge,  although  the  English  made  every  friendly 
demonstration  in  their  power.  Finally,  two  of  their 
number  went  off,  unarmed,  to  open  negotiations  with 
the  whites.  They  were  followed  at  a  distance  by 
many  of  the  others,  who  were  ready  to  render  as- 
sistance in  case  the  two  messengers  should  receive 
ill  treatment.  For  this  precaution  there  was,  how- 
ever, no  necessity.  Smith's  designs  were  peaceful 
and  commercial ;  he  therefore  exhibited  the  greatest 
friendliness  to  these  two  pioneers,  and  gave  them 


226        AN  ACCEPTABLE  FALSEHOOD. 

each  a  bell.  As  soon  as  the  others  saw  this  exhibi- 
tion of  kindness,  they  came  around  the  barge  in  great 
numbers,  bringing  deer  and  bears'  flesh,  fish,  bows, 
arrows,  clubs,  targets,  and  skins,  which  they  pre- 
sented to  the  English,  expecting,  no  doubt,  something 
in  return.  They  signified,  by  gestures,  that  they 
were  at  war  with  the  Tockwoghs,  and  showed 
wounds  upon  their  persons,  which  they  said  they 
had  received  in  their  conflicts  with  them. 

Leaving  the  Massawomeks,  Smith  pursued  his 
voyage,  and  came  next  upon  the  Tockwoghs,  with 
whom  they  were  at  war.  As  he  entered  the  River 
Tockwogh,  the  savages  came  round  him  in  great 
numbers,  all  armed  and  prepared  for  battle.  One 
of  them  could  speak  in  the  language  of  Powhatan  ; 
and  when  he  saw  the  weapons  of  the  Massawomeks, 
which  Smith  and  his  company  had,  he  was  anxious 
to  learn  how  they  were  obtained.  Smith,  knowing 
well  that  the  falsehood  would  please  them,  and  would 
secure  their  protection,  told  them  that  he  had  had  a 
conflict  with  the  Massawomeks,  and  these  were  the 
trophies  of  his  victory.  When  this  was  communi- 
cated to  the  savages,  they  sent  up  such  a  shout  of 
triumph  as  rent  the  air  like  the  hideous  yells  of  so 
many  demons.  Not  satisfied  with  this,  they  next 
conducted  their  visitors  to  their  town,  which  was 
strongly  protected  by  palisades,  covered  with  bark, 
with   scaffold-iike  projections  on  the  inside,  screened 


THE    SASQJJESA.HANOCKS.  227 

by  a  breastwork,  from  which  they  could  safely  send 
their  arrows  at  their  enemies.  Mais  were  spread 
for  them  to  sit  on,  and  then  wild  songs  were  sung, 
and  grotesque  but  characteristic  dances  were  per 
formed,  with  all  the  accompaniments  of  drums,  gri- 
maces, contortions,  and  horrid  noises.  After  this 
they  brought  fruit,  peltries,  and  other  articles  of  their 
rude  manufacture,  with  which  they  made  presents, 
or  engaged  in  barter  with  the  English. 

The  voyagers  were  not  a  little  surprised  to  see 
among  these  people  pieces  of  iron,  brass,  hatchets, 
and  knives  of  European  manufacture.  As  these  had 
not  come  from  Jamestown,  Smith  inquired  where 
they  obtained  them.  They  replied,  from  the  Sas- 
quesahanocks.  These  were  a  tribe  of  natives  inhab- 
iting the  upper  part  of  the  bay,  who  were  represented 
as  being  very  large,  strong,  and  brave. 

Smith  persuaded  a  couple  of  Indians  to  go  to 
these  Sasquesahanocks,  and  carry  to  them  an  invita- 
tion to  come  and  see  him,  as  his  boat  could  not  get 
up  to  them,  in  consequence  of  the  rocks  in  the  river 
After  waiting  three  or  four  days,  fifty  or  sixty  of 
them  came  down,  bringing  venison,  baskets,  weap- 
ons, and  tobacco  pipes,  three  or  four  feet  long. 
Five  chiefs  were  in  this  company,  who,  leaving  their 
men  behind  them,  came  boldly  into  the  barge  to 
cross  the  bay,  the  wind  being  so  high  as  to  make  it 
dangerous  for  their  canoes. 


223  INDIANS    WORSHIP    SMITH. 

It  was  the  custom  of  the  English,  on  this  expedi 
tion,  to  observe  devotional  services  daily.     Tl.ey  usu- 
ally had  a  prayer,  with   a   psalm.     This  occasioned 
considerable  astonishment  among  these  Indians. 

After  the  Sasquesahanocks  had  witnessed  the 
religious  exercises  of  the  party,  they  held  a  consulta- 
tion amongst  themselves,  as  if  to  make  arrangements 
for  some  ceremony.  Their  plans  being  completed, 
they  commenced  the  execution  of  them.  With  pas- 
sionate gesticulations  towards  the  sun,  they  began 
sinffinsr  in  a  boisterous  and  excited  manner ;  at  the 
same  time  advancing  towards  Captain  Smith,  they 
adored  him  as  though  they  regarded  him  a  Deity. 
He  remonstrated  with  them,  and  endeavored  to  pre- 
vent the  continuance  of  the  ceremony,  but  without 
success.  They  persevered  until  their  song  was  fin- 
ished. They  then  delivered  an  address  in  loud 
tones  with  violent  gestures,  in  which  they  made  pro- 
fessions of  great  love ;  alter  which  they  arrayed 
Smith  in  an  ornamented  robe  of  bear's  skin,  and  a 
great  chain  of  white  beads,  weighing  some  eight 
pounds.  Others  brought  beautiful  mantles  made  of 
different  skins  sewed  together,  and  varicus  other 
articles  of  their  own  manufacture,  and  laid  them  at 
his  feet  as  presents. 

After  which,  they  ceremoniously  stroked  him  about 
the  head  and  neck  with  their  hands,  and  earnestly 
desired    him    to   become  their  chief  and   protector, 


AN    ADVENTURE.  229 

promising  him  every  thing  in  their  possession  if  he 
would  espouse  their  quarrels,  and  fight  for  them 
against  the  Massavvomeks. 

Leaving  this  people,  who  professed  great  sorrow 
for  their  departure,  the  English  had  their  next  ad- 
venture with  the  Rappahanocks,  on  a  river  of  that 
name.  As  was  their  usual  custom,  they  first  ex- 
changed a  man  with  them  as  a  hostage  for  good 
treatment.  The  name  of  the  Englishman  thus  ex- 
changed was  Todkill.  After  he  had  landed,  he  dis- 
covered a  company  of  Indians  lying  in  ambush,  and 
cried  out  to  his  comrades  in  the  boat  that  they  were 
betrayed.  At  the  same  instant,  the  Indian  hostage, 
who  was  in  the  boat,  leaped  overboard  to  make  his 
escape ;  but  the  man  under  whose  special  charge  he 
was,  shot  at  and  killed  him  in  the  water.  The 
whole  party  then  attacked  the  Indians  on  the  shore, 
who  fled,  not,  however,  without  discharging  volleys 
of  arrows.  Todkill  had  a  narrow  escape.  He  was 
stained  with  the  blood  of  those  who  had  held  him, 
and  who  had  been  wounded  by  the  English  guns ; 
but  he  made  good  his  retreat  to  the  boat.  The  tar- 
gets which  had  been  given  to  Smith  by  the  Massa 
womeks  now  answered  a  valuable  purpose ;  for  he 
erected  them  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  so  that  they 
furnished  a  complete  protection  from  the  arrows  of 
the  enemy,  behind  which  his  men  could,  with  perfect 
safety,  discharge  their  muskets. 
20        , 


230  NOVEL    STRATAGEM. 

The  next  day  they  had  an  opportunity  of  wit- 
nessing a  novel  stratagem  of  the  Indians.  As  they 
were  passing  up  the  river,  they  noticed  that  arrows 
would  occasionally  strike  against  the  targets  which 
had  been  erected  along  the  sides  of  the  boat,  and 
fall  into  the  water ;  but  as  no  Indians  were  visible, 
they  knew  not  whence  they  came.  They  noticed 
that  amongst  the  sed^e  which  lined  the  shore  of  the 
river  were  some  straggling  bushes,  but  they  could 
see  no  one  amongst  them.  Presently  an  Indian 
whom  they  had  on  board,  cried  out,  "  The  Rappa- 
hanocks,"  and  fell  flat  on  his  face.  They  then  dis- 
covered that  what  they  took  for  bushes  growing  in 
the  water,  were  nothing  but  branches  ingeniously 
carried  by  the  Indians  as  a  screen.  They  let  fly  a 
volley  of  musketry,  when,  as  if  by  magic,  the  bushes 
disappeared,  and  a  company  of  dusky  forms  were 
seen  retreating  to  the  land.  So  soon  as  the  cunning 
savages  gained  the  shore,  as  they  were  out  of  the 
reach  of  musket  shot,  they  commenced  singing  and 
capering  very  merrily. 

They  also  experienced  the  treachery  of  the  Ches- 
apeakes  and  Nansamunds.  Being  decoyed  up  a  nar- 
row river,  they  were  followed  by  seven  or  eight 
canoes  full  of  men.  Presently,  from  both  sides  of 
the  river,  arrows  came  pouring  into  them  as  rapidly 
as  two  or  three  hundred  men  could  shoot  them. 
Then   those    in  the  canoes  enjraffed  in   the   attack. 


SMITH    CONQUERS    A    PEACE.  2tfl 

The  English  opened  upon  them  their  fire-arms,  which 
soon  scattered  them.  They  then  seized  their  ca- 
noes, and  commenced  destroying  them.  When  the 
Indians  discovered  their  object,  they  became  anxious 
to  make  peace.  The  loss  of  their  canoes  they  would 
not  easily  get  over.  By  signs  they  signified  their 
wish  for  a  parley.  Smith  told  them  that  if  they 
would  bring  their  king's  bows  and  arrows,  with  a 
chain  of  pearl,  and  furnish  also  four  hundred  baskets 
of  corn,  he  would  enter  into  a  treaty  of  peace  with 
them ;  but  if  they  refused,  he  would  break  all  their 
boats,  burn  their  houses,  and  destroy  all  their  grain. 

They  consented  to  the  severe  terms  ;  and  Smith 
returned  to  Jamestown,  taking  with  him  as  much 
corn  as  the  boat  would  carry. 

He  arrived  there  September  7,  1608,  and  found 
things,  as  they  usually  were  during  his  absence,  in  a 
bad  condition.  The  late  president  was  in  prison  for 
mutiny,  the  provision  in  store  much  injured  by  the 
weather  and  vermin,  some  of  the  colonists  sick,  and 
many  dead. 


CHAPTER     XX. 

Smilli  installed  Governor.  —  Newport  returns.  —  Smith  outvoted.  — 
Pocahontas.  —  Her  Amusements  for  Smith.  —  Powhatan's 
Haughtiness.  —  Inappropriate  Presents.  —  A  Coronation  not 
understood.  —  Stingy  Reciprocity. — The  Manakins  found.— 
Their  Exclusiveness. —  Seeking'  Merchandise.  —  Novel  Employ- 
ment.—  A  queer  Cure  for  Profanity.  —  Selfishness  fatal  to  the 
general  Good.  —  Newport  dissatisfied.  —  Is  glad  to  return  to 
England.  —  Probably  misrepresents  the  Colony. 

During  his  absence  on  the  expedition  which 
was  described  in  the  last  chapter,  Captain  Smith 
explored  the  wbole  of  Chesapeake  Bay,  with  it? 
smaller  bays  and  inlets.  He  was  gone  nearly  three 
months,  and  sailed,  according  to  his  own  compu- 
tation, three  thousand  miles.  He  made  a  map  of 
the  bay  and  adjoining  country,  which,  though  it 
added  to  the  geographical  knowledge  then  possessed, 
is  now  valuable  only  as  an  object  of  curiosity. 

After  his  return  to  Jamestown,  Smith,  by  the 
election  of  the  council  and  the  choice  of  all  the 
colonists,  accepted  the  appointment  of  governor, 
and  was  formally  installed  in  office. 

He  now  set  himself  to  work  with  his  accustomed 
activity.  The  church  and  the  storehouse  were 
repaired  ;  buildings  were  arranged  for  the  reception 
of  supplies,  which  were  expected  ;  the  fort  was 
reduced  to  a  pentagon  shape  ;  an  order  of  sentinels 


NEWPORT    ARRIVES.  233 

established,  and  the  soldiers  drilled.  When  the 
soldiers  were  firing  at  a  mark,  large  crowds  of 
Indians  would  sometimes  gather  around  and  look  on 
with  amazement  to  see  the  execution  of  their  bul- 
lets upon  the  trees. 

Another  expedition  was  fitted  out  to  trade  with 
the  Indians.  It  was  under  the  command  of  Lieu- 
tenant Percy  ;  but  after  they  had  reached  the  bay, 
they  met  a  vessel,  which  proved  to  be  from  Eng- 
land, bringing  Captain  Newport  and  a  company  of 
fresh  supplies.  Percy  returned  with  these  to  James- 
town. 

Captain  Newport  had  received  private  instruc- 
tions, from  the  council  in  England,  not  to  return 
without  bringing  a  lump  of  gold,  or  discovering  the 
South  Sea,  or  one  of  the  lost  colonies  of  Sir  Wal- 
ter Raleigh.  He  also  brought  over  some  expensive 
gifts  for  Powhatan.  He  was  also  empowered  to  act 
in  certain  cases  independently  of  the  local  council. 

So  soon  as  Newport  disclosed  his  instructions, 
Smith  was  both  mortified  and  perplexed.  Instead 
of  attempting  these  wild  projects,  he  knew  that  the 
time  (it  being  now  about  harvest)  ought  to  be 
spent  in  vigorous  efforts  for  procuring  food,  on 
which  the  colony  might  subsist,  and  that  if  this 
were  not  done,  there  would  be  much  suffering  be- 
fore many  months.  He  therefore  in  the  council 
urged  his  views.  But  Newport  and  those  who 
20* 


234  POCAHONTAS    AGAIN. 

sympathized  with  trim  overruled  and  outvoted  him, 
and  he  even  had  the  impudence  to  intimate  that 
Smith  was  deterred  from  acting  with  him  from 
fear  of  the  Indians.  This  was  touching  the  gov- 
ernor in  a  tender  spot.  He  could  not  suffer  his 
courage  to  be  called  in  question  ;  and,  therefore, 
although  he  regarded  the  policy  of  Newport  as 
extremely  injudicious,  yet,  as  it  had  received  the 
approval  of  the  council,  he  yielded  his  own  views, 
and  consented  to  assist  in  its  execution.  He  even 
offered  to  go  himself  to  the  residence  of  Powhatan, 
and  invite  him  to  come  to  Jamestown  to  meet  Cap- 
tain Newport  and  receive  his  presents. 

With  only  four  companions,  he  set  out  to  find 
the  Indian  king.  When  he  reached  Werowocomoco, 
he  crossed  the  River  Pamaunkee,  and  there  learned 
that  Powhatan  was  thirty  miles  off".  Smith  had 
the  pleasure  of  finding  there  his  young  and  ami- 
able  deliverer,   Pocahontas. 

Whilst  messengers  were  gone  after  Powhatan, 
Captain  Smith  and  his  companions  were  entertained 
by  Pocahontas  in  the  following  strange,  yet  charac- 
teristic manner :  Whilst  the  five  Englishmen  were 
sitting  by  a  fire  in  an  open,  cleared  field,  they  were 
startled  by  hideous  yells  and  screeches  which  broke 
upon  them  from  the  surrounding  woods,  and  sup- 
posing that  Powhatan  with  his  band  of  Indians  had 
surprised  them,  and  were    about  to   kill  or  capture 


FEMALE    AMUSEMENTS.  235 

them,  they  immediately  sprang  to  their  feet,  and 
seized  two  or  three  old  men  who  were  at  hand, 
either  to  use  them  as  shields  for  their  protection,  as 
Smith  had  done  on  a  former  occasion,  or  with  the 
hope  that  in  some  way,  through  their  instrumen- 
tality, he  might  secure  a  friendly  reception  from 
Powhatan. 

Pocahontas  saw  their  fears,  and  immediately 
made  her  appearance,  assuring  them  that  no  harm 
was  intended,  and  offering  to  deliver  herself  up  to 
them  to  be  killed,  in  case  any  injury  were  done 
them.  Then  a  crowd  of  others,  composed  of  men, 
women,  and  children,  testified  to  the  same  thing. 
When  they  saw  that  the  fears  of  the  English  were 
allayed,  the  sport  proceeded  in  the  following  man- 
ner :  Thirty  young  Indian  damsels  came  out  of 
the  woods  naked,  with  the  exception  of  an  apron 
of  green  leaves  around  them,  with  their  bodies  all 
painted,  some  of  one  color  and  some  of  another, ' 
but  no  two  alike.  The  squaw  who  was  at  the 
head  of  this  singular  procession  had  upon  her  head 
a  pair  of  buck's  horns  ;  at  her  girdle  an  otter's 
skin  ;  on  her  arm  another ;  on  her  back  hung  a 
quiver  full  of  arrows,  and  in  her  hand  she  carried 
a  bow  and  arrow.  The  next  had  a  sword,  another 
a  heavy  club,  another  a  pot  stick ;  and  all  carried 
something,  with  the  addition  of  a  pair  of  horns 
upon  their   heads.      "  These  fiends,"  says  the  origi- 


236  FEASTING    AND    DANCING. 

nal  account,  "  with  most  hellish  shouts  and  cries, 
rushing-  from  among  the  trees,  cast  themselves  in 
a  ling  about  the  fire,  singing  and  dancing  with  most 
excellent  ill  variety,  oft  falling  into  their  infernal 
passions,  and  solemnly  again  to  sing  and  dance. 
Having  spent  near  an  hour  in  this  mascarado,  as 
they  entered,   in   like  manner  they  departed. 

"  Having  reaccommodated  themselves,  they  sol- 
emnly invited  him  to  their  lodgings,  where  he  was 
no  sooner  within  the  house,  but  all  these  nymphs 
more  tormented  him  than  ever  with  crowding, 
pressing,  and  hanging  about  him,  most  tediously 
crying,  '  Love  you  not  me  ?  Love  you  not  me  ? ' 
This  salutation  ended,  the  feast  was  set,  consisting 
of  ail  the  savage  dainties  they  could  devise,  some 
attending,  others  singing  and  dancing  about  them  ; 
which  mirth  being  ended,  with  firebrands  instead 
of  torches,  they  conducted  him  to  his  lodging. 

"  Thus  did  ihcy  show  their  featsof  arras, 
And  others  art  in  (131)01115  ; 
Some  other  used  their  oaten  pipe, 
And  others  voices  chanting'." 

The  next  day,  Powhatan  returned,  when  Smith 
informed  him  that  Captain  Newport  had  arrived 
from  England,  and  had  brought  with  him  many 
valuable  presents,  which  he  requested  Powhatan  to 
come  to  Jamestown  and  receive,  and  also  to  make 
arrangements  to  revenge  themselves  upon  the  Man- 


THE    PRESENTS.  23n 

akins.  Tn  addition  to  this  message,  he  returned  to 
Powhatan  an  Indian  whom  Newport  had  taken  to 
England  and  brought  safely  back. 

The  haughty  and  cunning  Indian  chief  replied, 
that  if  the  King  of  England  had  sent  him  any 
presents,  as  he  was  a  king  also,  and  that  was  his 
land,  they  ought  to  bring  the  presents  to  him,  and 
not  expect  him  to  go  to  Jamestown  after  them. 
That  was  too  foolish  a  bait  to  be  taken.  As  for 
the  Manakins,  he  could  revenge  his  own  wrongs 
upon  them  without  the  aid  of  the  English.  He 
would   not,  therefore,   go  to  the  colony. 

Smith  also  inquired  if  he  knew  of  any  salt  water 
beyond  the  mountains,  as  some  of  the  Indians  had 
reported.  Powhatan  replied  that  all  that  his  men 
had  told  them  about  salt  water  beyond  the  moun- 
tains was  false.  He  then  drew  a  map  upon  the 
ground,   and  illustrated  the  nature   of  the  country. 

As  Smith  could  not  prevail  upon  him  to  go  to 
Jamestown,  he  had  to  return  without  him,  and 
carry  his  reply  to  Newport.  Powhatan  agreed  to 
wait  eight  days  for  the  presents  to  be  brought  to 
him. 

In  Newport's  estimation,  no  time  was  to  be  lost. 
The  next  day,  therefore,  he  sent  the  presents  by 
water,  whilst  himself,  escorted  by  a  guard  of  fifty 
men,  crossed  over  by  land.  The  two  parties  met 
at  Werowocomoco,  where  the  proud  chief  was  in 
waiting. 


238  RIDICULOUS    CEREMONY. 

The  ridiculous  ceremony  of  an  Indian  corona- 
tion was  now  attempted  by  Newport.  The  presents 
to  Powhatan  were  brought  forth,  consisting  of  a 
basin  and  pitcher,  bed  and  furniture,  a  scarlet  cloak, 
and  crown.  The  bed  and  furniture  were  set  up, 
and  then  the  ceremony  of  coronation  commenced. 
Powhatan  seems  to  have  been  fearful  that  some 
treachery  was  intended.  He  was  unwilling  to  wear 
the  cloak.  It  was  not  until  after  much  ado,  and 
he  had  been  assured  by  Namontack  that  no  injury 
was  intended,  that  he  allowed  them  to  place  it  upon 
his  shoulders.  They  now  requested  him  to  kneel 
in  order  to  have  the  crown  placed  upon  his  head. 
But  he,  not  understanding  the  meaning  of  majesty, 
nor  the  significancy  of  a  crown,  was  no  wise  am- 
bitious for  the  coronation.  He  therefore  would  not 
kneel,  or  pretended  that  he  knew  not  what  they 
meant.  They  then  set  him  an  example  by  kneeling 
before  him.  He  refused,  and  tired  them  all  out  by 
perseveringly  resisting  all  their  entreaties,  persua- 
sions, and  examples.  Finally,  by  leaning  heavily 
upon  his  shoulders,  they  made  him  bend  a  little, 
and  then  three  of  them,  being  ready,  slipped  the 
crown  upon  his  head.  A  pistol  was  now  fired  as  a 
signal  to  those  in  the  boat  that  the  royal  ceremony 
was  completed,  when  they  fired  such  a  volley  as 
made  the  newly-crowned  monarch  spring  to  his  feet 
in  great  consternation,    as  if  he  had  been  suddenly 


powhatan's  old  shoes.  239 

attacked  by  au  enemy.  Being  assured  that  all  was 
right,  he  became  calm.  The  whole  scene  must 
have  been  supremely  ridiculous. 

After  this  farce  was  over,  Powhatan,  as  a  return 
for  the  courtesy  and  the  presents  he  had  received, 
gave  Captain  Newport  his  old  shoes  and  his  mantle 
—  a  very  poor  return  for  the  handsome  donations 
of  the  English. 

When  Powhatan  learned  from  the  inquiries  of 
Newport,  that  his  design  was  to  discover  and  visit 
the  Manakins,  he  refused  to  give  him  any  directions, 
or  to  furnish  him  with  any  other  guide  than  Namon- 
tack.  After  the  exchange  of  a  few  more  civilities, 
the  chief  gave  Newport  some  seven  or  eight  bush- 
els of  unshelled  corn,  to  which  was  added  as  much 
more  by  purchase.  He  then  returned,  without  ac- 
complishing any  thing  of  importance,  to  Jamestown. 

Not  to  be  baffled  in  his  object,  Newport  set  out 
again  with  a  number  of  others  to  discover  these 
Manakins,  and  was  successful.  He  came  across 
two  of  their  villages,  where  he  was  treated  with 
perfect  indifference.  Yet  he  took  one  of  the  subor- 
dinate chiefs,  whom  he  bound  and  compelled  to  be 
his  guide.  He  also  examined  the  country  for 
mines,  and  discovered  some  ore  which  one  William 
Callicut,  a  professional  refiner  of  metals,  told  him 
contained  a  small  quantity  of  silver ;  "  and,"  says 
Smith,   "  (not   unlikely)    better   stuff  might    be    had 


240  SEEKING    FOR   MERCHANDISE. 

for  the  digging."  The  Indians  extended  no  civil- 
ities whatever.  They  concealed  their  corn ;  they 
refused  to  trade ;  and  to  hasten  the  departure  of 
the  English  from  them,  the  natives  told  them  that  a 
fleet  of  vessels  had  entered  the  bay  for  the  purpose 
of  destroying  Jamestown.  This  had  the  desired 
effect.  The  explorers  turned  their  faces  homeward, 
where  they  arrived  half  sick,  all  complaining,  fa- 
tigued with  toil,  weakened  by  hunger,  and  cha- 
grined with  disappointment.  The  adventure  ter- 
minated just  as  Captain  Smith  had  predicted,  with- 
out any  valuable  results. 

Soon  after  their  return,  the  president  sent  small 
parties  in  different  directions  to  look  for  tar,  pitch, 
glass,  and  soap  ashes.  A  company  of  thirty  he 
took  with  himself  five  miles  down  the  river,  to  teach 
them  how  to  fell  trees,  make  clapboards,  and  lodge 
in  the  woods.  Among  them  were  two  gentlemen 
—  Gabriel  Beadle  and  John  Russel  —  unaccustomed 
to  work,  who  at  first  engaged  in  the  object  with 
great  zeal.  To  cut  down  large  trees,  and  hear 
them  fall  like  thunder  to  the  earth,  and  to  cook, 
eat,  and  sleep  under  the  open  canopy  of  heaven, 
was  full  of  novelty,  strangeness,  and  excitement  to 
them.  They  enjoyed  the  sport  finely,  making  the 
dim  old  woods  echo  to  their  jokes,  their  laughter, 
and  their  songs.  It  was  not  lono-  before  their  del- 
icate  hands    were  blistered   by  the  axe,   when  their 


NOVEL  CURE  FOR  PROFANITY.        241 

tune  was  changed,  and  they  gave  expression  to  theif 
feelings  in  dreadful  oaths  and  curses.  Captain 
Smith,  the  president,  devised  a  novel  expedient  to 
check  their  profanity,  which  was  to  have  all  their 
oaths  numbered,  and  at  night,  to  have  a  can  of  cold 
water  poured  down  the  transgressor's  sleeve  for 
every  oath  he  had  uttered  through  the  day,  "  which 
so  washed  and  drenched  the  offender,  that  in  a 
short  time,  an   oath  was  scarcely  heard  in  a  week." 

Those  who  were  left  at  the  fort  failing  to  obtain 
any  provision,  it  became  necessary  for  Smith  to  go 
upon  an  excursion  for  that  purpose.  Taking  two 
barges,  he  pushed  off  to  Chickahominy,  where  he 
soon  learned  that  it  was  the  policy  of  Powhatan  to 
starve  the  English  out  by  withholding  food.  He 
therefore  told  them  that  he  had  not  come  so  much 
for  corn,  as  to  revenge  himself  upon  them  for  his 
captivity,  and  for  the  death  of  the  men  they  had 
murdered.  He  boldly  landed  his  men,  and  made 
demonstrations  as  if  he  intended  to  attack  them. 
This  brought  them  to  terms,  and  they  immediately 
sent  ambassadors,  with  corn,  fish,  fowl,  and  what- 
ever else  they  had,  to  negotiate  peace.  They 
freighted  the  boats  with  over  a  hundred  bushels  of 
corn,  and  then  parted  on  good  terms. 

It  was  unfortunate  for  the  infant  colony  that  the 
settlers,  instead  of  seeking  the  general  good,  were 
intent  upon  promoting  their  own  private  interests. 
21 


242  PRIVATE    AGAINST    PUBLIC    GOOL . 

Sailors,  soldiers,  and  mechanics,  had  formed  such 
intimate  relations  with  the  natives,  that  they  traded 
together  in  the  most  intimate  manner.  Two  evil 
results  followed  this  course  of  procedure.  In  the 
first  place,  the  public  weal  of  the  colony  was  un- 
cared  for  ;  and  in  the  second  place,  the  merchan- 
dise of  the  colony  disappeared  with  great  rapidity. 
Every  man  became  a  trader  on  his  own  account ; 
and  what  articles  could  not  be  obtained  from  the 
public  stores  by  fair  means,  were  abstracted  in  other 
ways ;  so  that  in  the  course  of  six  or  seven  weeks, 
of  two  or  three  hundred  axes,  hoes,  pickaxes,  and 
other  utensils,  scarce  twenty  remained  They  had 
been  traded  off  to  the  Indians  for  furs,  baskets,  and 
young  animals.  Their  stores  of  pike-heads,  powder, 
and  shot  had  disappeared  in  the  same  way. 

The  affairs  of  the  colony  being  in  an  unsatis- 
factory condition,  Captain  Newport  became  dissatis- 
fied. He  therefore  stated  that  his  orders  were  not 
to  return  to  England  without  a  lump  of  gold,  a 
discovery  of  the  South  Sea,  or  one  of  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh's  lost  company.  On  this  account,  the  pres- 
ident formed  the  determination  to  send  away  the 
vessel,  and  oblige  Newport  to  remain  in  the  coun- 
try a  year,  that  he  might  be  able  to  report  the 
state  of  things  from  his  own  prolonged  experi- 
ence and  observation.  To  this  arrangement  New- 
port  was   most   strongly    opposed.      It  would    have 


NEWPORT    RETURNS    TO    ENGLAND.  243 

been  to  him  a  severe  punishment.  Upon  his  sub- 
mission and  acknowledgment,  therefore,  he  was 
permitted  to  return,  where,  it  was  believed,  he 
made  the  worst  possible  report  of  the  state  of 
the  colon  v. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

1  rials.  —  Powhatan's  Invitation.  —  Smith  visits  him. —  Keeps 
Christmas.  —  Powhatan's  Deception.  —  A  villanous  Plot.  —  Poc- 
ahontas defeats  it.  —  She  declines  Rewards.  —  Distressing' Ca- 
lamity. —  A  Messenger  to  Smith.  —  His  Life  sought.  —  Pocahon- 
tas conceals  and  saves  him.  —  A  supposed  Miracle.  —  Mysterious 
Explosion.  —  Ratcliffe  and  others  slain.  —  Pocahontas  saves  a 
Boy.  —  Unparalleled  Sufferings.  —  Large  Numbers  die.  —  The 
Town  abandoned. — Lord  Delaware  arrives. —  The  Settlers 
return. — A  Sermon.  —  Lord  Delaware's  Promptness  and  En- 
ergy.—  The  Colony  revived. 

After  the  departure  of  Captain  Newport,  the 
colonists  passed  through  many  trials.  Not  only  were 
they  afflicted  by  sickness,  and  the  want  of  food,  but 
also  by  the  secret  plotting  of  the  Indians  against 
them.  They  knew  not  whom  to  trust.  Those  who 
made  the  strongest  professions  of  friendship  cher- 
ished the  most  perfidious  designs.  There  was,  how- 
ever, a  most  remarkable  exception,  in  the  case  of 
the  amiable  and  benevolent  Pocahontas.  She  re- 
mained true  to  the  interests  of  the  English  when  her 
friends  and  relatives  turned  against  them.  AVc  have 
already  related  her  remarkable  interposition  in  be- 
half of  Captain  Smith,  by  means  of  which  he  expe- 
rienced a  marvellous  deliverance  from  death,  when 
the  hand  of  the  executioner  was  raised  for  his  de- 
struction, and  also  her  frequent  visits  and  donations 


powhatan's  invitation.  245 

of  food  to  the  colony,  when,  if  it  had  not  been  for 
this  kindness,  they  would  have  greatly  suffered. 

We  shall  now  resume  her  history,  and  group  to- 
gether in  the  following  pages  the  subsequent  events 
of  her  life.  Her  father,  King  Powhatan,  sent  an 
invitation  to  Captain  Smith  to  make  him  a  visit,  with 
a  promise  that  he  would  fill  his  vessel  with  corn,  on 
condition  that  he  would  send  men  to  build  him  a 
house,  present  him  a  grindstone,  fifty  swords,  some 
guns,  and  two  fowls,  with  a  large  quantity  of  copper 
and  beads.  Although  Smith  suspected  him  of  In- 
dian duplicity,  he  yet  availed  himself  of  the  oppor- 
tunity, which  this  invitation  presented,  of  seeing 
Powhatan,  and  obtaining  from  him  a  supply  of  food, 
which  they  greatly  needed.  He  sent  off  before  him 
two  Englishmen  and  four  Germans,  by  land,  to  erect 
the  house  which  Powhatan  had  desired.  This  fact 
furnished  evidence  to  Powhatan  that  his  proposals 
were  received  in  good  faith,  from  which  he  might 
have  inferred  that  the  English  would  visit  him  en- 
tirely unsuspicious  of  his  treacherous  designs. 

Smith  took  with  him  the  bark  and  two  barges, 
maimed  with  those  only  who  offered  voluntarily  to 
accompany  him,  leaving  Mr.  Scrivener  as  his  sub- 
stitute, to  manage  the  affairs  of  the  colony  during 
his  absence. 

The  party  left  Jamestown  December  29,  1608 : 
the  same  evening  they  reached  Warrasqueake,  the 
21* 


246  TREACHERY  REVEALED. 

chief  of  which  endeavored  to  dissuade  them  from 
proceeding  farther.  Finding  himself  unsuccessful, 
he  informed  them  that  kind  treatment  awaited  them 
at  the  hand  of  Powhatan,  although  his  design  in 
sending  for  them  was  to  cut  their  throats. 

The  next  night  they  reached  Kicquotan,  where 
they  were  detained  by  a  severe  storm  of  rain  and 
snow  six  or  seven  days.  They  managed,  however, 
to  compensate  for  the  inconveniences  of  the  storm 
by  their  merriment  and  good  cheer.  Among  these 
wild  Indians  they  celebrated  the  festival  of  Christmas. 
Whilst  the  tempest  was  howling  without,  and  the  trees 
of  the  forest  were  falling  before  the  blast,  they  were 
comfortably  sheltered  in  the  wigwams  of  the  natives, 
where  they  were  "  never  more  merry  in  their  lives, 
lodged  by  better  fires,  or  fed  with  greater  plenty  of 
good  bread,  oysters,  fish,  flesh,  and  wild  fowl." 

When  the  storm  abated,  they  proceeded  on  their 
voyage,  and  reached  Werowocomoco,  the  residence 
of  Powhatan,  on  the  12th  of  January.  After  great 
difficulty  from  the  ice  and  frozen  mud,  they  finally 
succeeded  in  landing,  and  then  sent  to  Powhatan 
for  food,  who  furnished  them  with  bread,  turkey, 
and  venison,  and  feasted  them  according  to  his  usual 
custom  ;  after  which,  the  deceitful  chief  told  them 
he  had  not  sent  for  them,  that  he  and  his  people 
were  destitute  of  corn,  and  that  he  was  anxious  to 
foave  them  be  gone.      Smith  was  not  to   be  trifled 


INDIAN    EFFRONTERY.  247 

with  in  that  manner ;  he  therefore  called  the  mes- 
sengers, who  had  brought  him  the  invitation,  and 
confronted  Powhatan  with  them.  The  chief  tried 
to  turn  it  off  with  a  laugh  ;  and  to  divert  attention 
from  his  deception,  he  immediately  asked  for  the 
articles  with  which  they  intended  to  barter.  Noth- 
ing, however,  suited  him,  except  guns  and  swords. 
And  whilst  he  wanted  the  most  important  commodi- 
ties that  Smith  possessed,  he,  at  the  same  time,  held 
his  grain  at  such  a  high  rate  as  made  it  bad  econ- 
omy for  the  English  to  trade  with  him.  He  even 
had  the  effrontery  to  value  a  basket  of  corn  higher 
than  a  basket  of  copper,  saying,  "  he  could  rate  his 
corn,  but  not  the  copper." 

Much  negotiation  passed  between  the  two  parties. 
The  English  desired  to  preserve  peace,  and  obtain 
stores  by  fair  and  friendly  trade.  Powhatan  pro- 
fessed to  be  governed  by  a  similar  spirit,  but  was 
evidently  laboring  to  circumvent  his  visitors  and 
secure  their  destruction.  Unfortunately  for  Smith, 
the  Germans  whom  he  had  sent  to  build  the  chief's 
house,  being  enamoured  of  the  abundance  and  the 
freedom  of  the  Indians,  took  sides  with  the  chief, 
and  assisted  in  plotting  the  overthrow  of  the  col- 
onists. 

After  long  debate,  in  which  much   skill  was  dis 
played  on  both  sides,  Smith  succeeded  in  purchasing 
about  a  hundred  and    sixty  bushels  of  corn  for   a 


248  POCAHONTAS    A    DELIVERER    AGAIN. 

copper  kettle  :  one  half  of  the  grain  was  paid  at  the 
time,  and  the  other  half  was  to  he  furnished  next 
year.  After  this,  Powhatan  indulged  in  an  inge- 
nious harangue  on  the  advantages  of  peace  over 
war,  and  reproved  Smith  for  not  exhihiting  more 
confidence  in  him,  by  leaving  behind  him  his  weap- 
ons, as  himself  had  done.  Smith  knew  that  this  was 
only  an  artifice  to  gain  time  and  secure  a  favorable 
opportunity  for  cutting  him  and  his  party  off.  He 
therefore  resolved  to  resort  to  similar  measures  for 
a  similar  purpose.  Professing  great  friendliness, 
Smith  obtained  Indians  to  break  the  ice,  so  that  his 
boats  might  come  to  land  and  receive  the  corn  ;  at 
the  same  time  he  ordered  more  men  ashore  to  assist 
him  in  the  execution  of  a  plot  he  had  formed  to 
seize  Powhatan.  As  the  tide  fell,  he  and  his  men 
were  obliged  to  remain  on  land  longer  than  they 
had  previously  intended  to.  Powhatan  resolved  to 
take  advantage  of  the  circumstance,  and  treacher- 
ously murder  them  before  they  could  leave.  The 
English  were  in  great  danger.  The  plot  for  their 
destruction  would  probably  have  been  successful  if 
it  had  not  been  for  Pocahontas. 

Her  interest  in  the  English  was  not  abated.  She 
desired  their  welfare,  and  was  determined  to  promote 
it  at  all  hazards.  When  she  learned  that  her  father 
had  decreed  the  death  of  the  English,  she  was  anx- 
ious to  learn  the  plan  by  which  it  was  to  be  effected. 


THE    PLOT.  249 

Her  ears  were  open  to  catch  every  word.  As  she. 
loitered,  in  apparent  carelessness,  among  the  wig 
warns,  or  sauntered  around  amongst  the  men,  saying 
little  but  hearing  all,  she  soon  became  acquainted 
with  the  whole  scheme.  In  a  few  hours  the  dread- 
ful deed  would  be  consummated,  and  no  traces  of 
the  English  be  left  but  the  ground  stained  with  their 
blood  !  She  resolved  to  save  them.  To  accom- 
plish this  no  time  was  to  be  lost.  The  fatal  hour 
was  rapidly  approaching.  All  would  be  over  before 
the  return  of  the  tide.  The  cabins  which  Smith  and 
his  party  occupied  were  at  some  distance  from  those 
of  Powhatan.  To  secure  his  deliverance  it  was 
necessary  that  he  should  be  informed  of  his  danger. 
To  accomplish  this  without  detection  required  great 
courage  and  address.  The  young  damsel  was  equal 
to  the  task.  Under  the  cover  of  the  darkness,  the 
Indians  were  to  go  in  friendly  guise,  with  hos- 
pitable proffers  of  food,  to  the  English,  and  then 
seize  their  opportunity  to  fall  upon  them  unexpect- 
edly, and  destroy  them.  Yet  under  the  protection 
of  that  same  friendly  darkness,  the  youthful  Poca- 
hontas slips  from  her  father's  wigwam,  where  great 
preparations  are  in  progress  for  the  execution  of  the 
conspiracy,  and  silently  steals  off  alone  to  the  cabin 
of  the  English.  Fortunately  she  is  not  noticed  by 
her  own  people.  She  arrives  in  safety,  and  informs 
Captain  Smith  that  in  a  short  time  his  enemies  will 


259  POCAHONTAS    REVEALS    IT. 

be  upon  him  ;  they  will  come  with  kindness  on  theii 
lips,  with  presents  in  their  hands,  and  with  murder 
in  their  hearts. 

"  They  will  bring  you  good  cheer  ;  but  whilst 
you  are  eating  it,  they  will  fall  upon  and  kill  you. 
Or  if  they  cannot  do  it  then,  the  chief,  my  father, 
who  will  follow  them  with  large  numbers  of  men, 
will  suddenly  attack  you  and  murder  you  at  supper. 
If  you  want  to  escape  you  must  leave  at  once." 

Smith  was  grateful  to  her  foi  her  information,  and 
was  disposed  to  reward  her  for  her  kindness. 

Some  might  be  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  she 
was  induced  to  manifest  this  interest  in  the  English 
for  the  presents  she  would  receive.  As  children 
generally  are  amused  with  toys,  it  might  be  supposed 
that  a  young  Indian  girl  would  be  especially  pleased 
by  the  very  curious  and  wonderful  articles  which 
the  English  could  give  her,  and  for  that  reason 
might  be  induced  to  give  them  what  she  believed  to 
be  acceptable  and  valuable  information,  though  at 
great  risk  to  herself. 

But  the  conduct  of  Pocahontas  shows  that  this 
motive  had  no  influence  with  her,  for  when  Captain 
Smith  offered  her  various  interesting  ohjects  as  a 
reward  for  her  conduct,  she  positively  and  firmly 
declined  receiving  them.  She  told  him,  with  the 
tears  streaming  down  her  cheeks,  that  she  dared  not 
accept  them,  for   if  her   father   knew  that   she   had 


THE    PLOT    DEFEATED.  251 

them,  he  would  immediately  put  her  to  death.  Hav- 
ing accomplished  her  object,  she  ran  hastily  home, 
and  slipped  in  among  the  conspirators,  where  she 
appeared  as  if  nothing  had  happened,  and  escaped 
detection. 

In  less  than  an  hour,  eight  or  ten  large,  brave, 
muscular  Indians  came  to  the  English,  bringing  with 
them  platters  of  venison  and  other  food,  as  friendly 
presents.  As  the  English  had  their  matches  burn- 
ing, ready  to  fire  in  case  of  an  attack,  the  natives 
pretended  that  the  smoke  made  them  sick,  and  asked 
that  they  might  be  extinguished.  This  was  declined. 
The  intelligence  which  had  been  communicated  by 
Pocahontas  awakened  suspicion  in  the  mind  of  Smith 
that  the  food  which  they  so  cheerfully  offered  was 
poisoned.  He  therefore  made  them  taste  of  every 
dish,  and  then  sent  by  some  of  them  a  message  to 
Powhatan,  to  hasten  his  coming,  for  the  English 
were  prepared  to  receive  him.  Presently  other  spies 
made  their  appearance,  to  see  how  matters  were  pro- 
gressing. Each  party  was  too  suspicious  and  vigi- 
lant fjr  the  other  to  get  any  advantage.  The  In- 
dians reconnoitred  the  English,  noticed  their  constant 
preparedness  for  an  attack,  and  hence  deemed  it  the 
wiser  course  not  to  molest  them.  When  the  tide 
returned,  Smith  and  his  company  departed,  greatly 
indebted  to  Pocahontas  for  the  information  she  had 
given,  though  at  the  risk  of  her  own  life,  and  by 


252  DISTRESSING    CALAMITY. 

means  of  which  they  had  heen  delivered  from  the 
destruction  which  was  prepared  for  them 

Whilst  Captain  Smith  was  on  this  excursion  to 
the  Indians,  an  affecting  calamity  occurred  at  James- 
town. Mr.  Scrivener,  whom  he  had  left  in  charge 
of  affairs  there,  went  with  several  others  on  a  visit 
to  Hog  Island.  Among  the  company  were  Captain 
Waldo,  who  had  received  strict  orders  not  to  leave 
Jamestown,  but  to  remain  there  prepared  to  render 
aid  to  the  president  at  a  moment's  warning,  and  Mr. 
Anthony  Gosnold,  brother  to  Bartholomew  Gosnold, 
who  discovered  and  named  Cape  Cod.  There  were 
eleven  in  all.  They  imprudently  embarked  in  a  frail 
skiff,  which  would  have  been  unsuitable  for  the  pur- 
pose in  the  mild  season  of  summer,  when  the  water 
was  free  from  ice  and  unruffled  by  storms,  but  which 
rendered  the  enterprise  especially  hazardous  at  the 
present  time.  The  weather  was  cold  and  boisterous. 
The  skiff  being  too  heavily  loaded,  and  the  waves 
rolling  with  unusual  strength  and  magnitude,  she 
swamped,  and  all  on  board  perished !  This  sad 
catastrophe  involved  the  colony  in  deep  gloom. 
Smith  being  absent,  and  their  principal  men  drowned, 
those  who  remained  at  Jamestown  were  at  a  loss 
what  course  to  pursue. 

It  was  proposed  to  send  a  messenger  immediately 
to  carry  the  mournful  intelligence  to  the  president. 
But  who  will  go  1     It  was  known  to  be  a  dangerous 


POCAHONTAS    PROTECTS    THE    MESSENGER.       253 

errand,  requiring  great  courage,  self-possession,  and 
address,  in  order  to  pass  safely  through  the  Indians 
who  would  be  met  on  the  way,  and  find  the  presi- 
dent, and  therefore  all  declined  to  undertake  the 
perilous  service,  except  Mr.  Richard  Wyffin.  He 
set  out  alone,  and  proceeded  amidst  great  difficulties 
to  Werowocomoco,  the  residence  of  Powhatan.  Tc 
his  great  regret  he  found  that  Smith  had  left  before 
his  arrival.  Whilst  here  he  noticed  such  extensive 
preparations  for  war  as  convinced  him  that  Powhatan 
had  some  evil  object  in  view.  He  soon  had  reason 
to  believe  that  these  preparations  were  intended  to 
be  used  against  the  English,  from  the  fact  that  his 
own  life  was  sought.  It  was  important  that  some 
one  acquainted  with  that  fact  should  give  him  in- 
formation, and  extend  to  him  concealment.  Who 
would  do  this  ?  Certainly  not  one  of  Powhatan's 
warriors.  They  were  too  much  interested  in  the 
success  of  the  plot.  Nothing  would  have  given  them 
greater  pleasure  than  the  seizure  of  this  messenger. 
Their  wives,  doubtless,  sympathized  with  them,  or 
if  any  of  them  did  not,  they  could  hold  no  communi- 
cation with  this  newly-arrived  Englishman  without 
detection,  when  their  lives  would  be  the  forfeit. 
And  yet,  if  the  design  of  Powhatan  be  not  revealed 
speedily,  this  visitor  will  be  held  as  a  captive,  and, 
if  policy  requires,  put  to  death. 

At  this   critical   period   the   youthful  Pocahontas 
22 


254  SHE    SAVES    WYFFIN. 

appears  again  as  the  guardian  angel  of  the  white 
man,  and  by  some  ingenious  device  manages  to  com 
municate  to  him  that  a  sword  is  suspended  over  his 
head.  He  must  flee.  But  where  ?  His  trail  will 
be  discovered  ;  he  will  he  pursued,  overtaken,  and 
brought  back.  She  undertakes  to  be  his  protector. 
She  secretly  conceals  him  until  lie  can  leave  in  some 
degree  of  safety,  doubtless  supplying  him,  in  the 
mean  time,  with  food  to  sustain  life.  So  soon  as  a 
convenient  opportunity  presents  itself,  he  cautiously 
leaves  his  concealment  and  departs.  Soon  the  pur 
suers  are  after  him,  like  bloodhounds  after  game. 
They  come  to  where  Pocahontas  is,  and  ask  if 
she  knows  the  direction  he  has  taken.  Yes,  yes, 
the  damsel  knows,  but  she  is  too  wise  to  inform 
them ;  and,  to  save  the  pursued,  she  directs  them  in 
the  opposite  course  to  that  which  he  has  taken  ;  she 
puts  them  upon  a  false  scent,  and  they  start  off;  the 
farther  they  go,  the  wider  becomes  the  distance  be- 
tween them  and  the  object  of  their  pursuit.  In  this 
manner,  through  the  instrumentality  of  Pocahontas, 
Wyffin  successfully  escaped,  and  after  great  hard- 
ships and  embarrassments  from  the  Indians  whom 
he  met,  some  of  whom  he  had  to  heavily  bribe,  he 
succeeded  in  finding  Smith  at  Pamunkey,  where 
Opechancanough  was  plotting  to  murder  him  and 
all  his  company. 

When  the  painful   intelligence    of  the   disaster   at 


THE    COLONY    DOOMED.  255 

Jamestown  was  communicated  to  Smith,  he  made 
the  messenger  swear  that  he  would  not  reveal  it  to 
any  of  the  men,  as  he  knew  that  the  effect  would  be 
to  greatly  dishearten  them,  and  by  consequence  to 
unnerve  and  unfit  them  for  the  exigencies  they  were 
yet  to  meet. 

Smith  assumed  a  cheerful  countenance,  so  that 
the  men  might  not  suspect  that  the  newly-arrived 
messenger  from  home  was  the  bearer  of  unwelcome 
tidings,  and  at  night  embarked  on  board  his  vessels 
and  returned. 

At  this  time  Powhatan  had  determined  to  kill 
Captain  Smith  and  overthrow  the  colony.  He  had 
gone  so  far  as  actually  to  threaten  death  upon  his 
own  men  if  they  did  not  by  some  means  murder 
him.  All  the  Indians  were  therefore  on  the  alert  to 
be  the  executioners  of  the  president.  Wherever 
he  went,  he  met  vexatious  embarrassments  from  the 
natives,  the  object  of  which  was  to  bring  about  such 
circumstances  as  would  favor  his  seizure.  But  Smith 
was  too  vigilant  and  sagacious  for  them. 

Two  events  now  occurred  which  produced  a  great 
change  in  the  opinions  and  policy  of  the  Indians 
respecting  the  Euglish. 

A  pistol  had  been  stolen   by  an  Indian ;  and  two 
brothers,  also  natives,  who  were   known  to  be  con 
federates  with  the  thief,  were  seized.     In  order  to 
regain  the  pistol,  one  of  the  brothers  was  imprisoned, 


256  A    SUPPOSED    MIRACLE. 

and  the  other  was  sent  after  the  stolen  article,  with 
instructions  to  return  with  it  in  twelve  hours,  or  his 
brother  should  be  hanged.  Durinsr  his  absence  the 
president  ordered  a  fire  to  be  kindled  in  his  cell,  and 
supplied  him  with  charcoal  for  fuel.  As  the  venti- 
lation of  the  place  was  bad,  the  foul  air  engendered 
by  the  burning  charcoal  overcame  the  Indian,  and 
he  fell  senseless.  When  his  brother  returned,  and 
the  cell  was  opened,  he  was  found  lying  upon  the 
floor  motionless  and  breathless.  As  he  was  badly 
burned,  the  probability  is,  that  he  fell  in  the  fire.  The 
brother,  believing  him  to  be  dead,  was  deeply  grieved, 
and  mourned  over  him  so  lamentably  that  the  presi- 
dent, to  comfort  him,  said  that,  if  he  would  promise 
never  again  to  steal,  he  would  restore  his  brother  to 
life.  The  afflicted  man  had  little  hope  that  it  could 
be  done.  However,  by  the  liberal  use  of  vinegar 
and  spirits  the  fainted  Indian  was  revived.  But  as 
when  first  recovered,  he  appeared  to  be  wild  and 
crazy,  his  brother  was  as  deeply  grieved  as  before. 
Upon  promise  of  good  behavior,  the  president  ottered 
to  remove  that  malady,  and  restore  him  to  perfect 
health.  To  accomplish  this,  he  caused  him  to  lie 
down  and  take  a  nap,  after  which  he  was  as  well  as 
ever,  except  the  effects  of  his  burns.  These  being 
dressed,  and  a  piece  of  copper  being  given  them, 
they  went  away  well  pleased  ;  and  it  was  soon 
currently    reported     among     all     the    savages    that 


AN    EXPLOSION.  257 

Captain  Smith  had  power  to  raise  the  dei.d  to 
life! 

The  other  event,  which  to  them  was  so  marvel- 
lous, was  this  :  One  of  Powhatan's  Indians  by  some 
means  got  possession  of  a  large  bag  of  powder  and  the 
back  of  an  armor.  To  show  his  great  knowledge 
and  skill  in  the  use  of  this  wonderful  article,  he 
spiead  the  powder  upon  the  back  of  the  armor,  and 
attempted  to  dry  it  over  the  fire,  as  he  had  seen  the 
English  at  Jamestown  do.  A  number  of  his  com- 
panions gathered  around,  and  looked  over  the  armor 
to  see  his  success.  Unfortunately,  the  poor  fellow 
did  not  know  so  much  as  he  thought  he  did  ;  for  he 
kept  the  armor  over  the  fire  till  it  got  too  hot,  when 
the  powder  exploded,  blew  him  to  death,  killed 
one  or  two  more,  and  burned  the  rest  so  severely 
that  they  had  no  desire  afterwards  to  meddle  with 
this  mysterious  article.  These  two  events,  with 
others  of  a  similar  character,  "  so  amazed  and 
affrighted  both  Powhatan  and  his  people,  that  from 
all  parts  with  presents  they  desired  peace  ;  return- 
ing many  stolen  things  which  we  never  demanded 
nor  thought  of;  and  after  that,  those  that  were 
taken  stealing,  both  Powhatan  and  his  people  have 
sent  them  back  to  Jamestown  to  receive  punishment , 
and  all  the  country  became  absolutely  as  free  for 
us  as  for  themselves." 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  the  troubles  of 
22* 


258  POCAHONTAS    SAVES    A    BOY. 

the  colony  began  to  be  renewed.  Food  again 
became  so  scarce,  dissensions  so  violent,  and  the  In- 
dians so  treacherous,  that  all  comfort  was  destroyed. 
Their  trials  were  increased  by  the  departure  of  Cap- 
tain Smith  to  England. 

The  Hon.  George  Percy,  who  was  left  pres- 
ident in  his  place,  not  understanding  the  Indian 
character,  or  being  destitute  of  tact  and  courage 
in  dealing  with  them,  soon  met  with  some  severe 
disasters. 

One  of  his  officers,  Captain  RatclifFe,  with  a  small 
ship  and  thirty  or  forty  men,  visited  Powhatan  for 
purposes  of  trade.  He  appears  to  have  been  re- 
ceived in  a  courteous  manner  by  the  chief,  who 
made  fair  professions,  and  by  whose  friendly  ap- 
pearance Ratclifte  was  thrown  off  his  guard,  when 
he  and  thirty  of  his  men  were  slain.  Again  Poc- 
ahontas presents  herself  as  a  messenger  of  mercy. 
Though  her  influence  was  too  weak  to  prevent  this 
effusion  of  blood,  yet  she  succeeded  in  saving  a 
boy,  whose  name  was  Henry  Spilman,  and  who 
lived  for  many  years  by  her  means  among  the 
Potomac's. 

On  every  occasion  when  she  could  be  of  any  as- 
sistance, Pocahontas  was  ready  to  serve  the  English. 
If  she  could  not  aid  them  one  way,  she  would 
another;  and  by  these  important  services  she  proved 
herself  their  sincere  and  unchanging  friend. 


DREADFUL    SUFFERINGS.  259 

After  the  departure  of  Captain  Smith,  the  colony 
passed  through  a  period  of  almost  unparalleled 
sufferings.  At  first,  the  live  stock  of  the  settlement 
was  wastefully  consumed  by  the  prodigal  officers,  or 
stolen  by  the  Indians,  so  that  they  were  glad  to  pur- 
chase a  little  food  from  the  natives  in  exchange  for 
swords,  firelocks,  and  other  weapons ;  by  which 
means  the  Indians  became  qualified  to  inflict  upon 
them  greater  injury  than  ever.  Starch,  horseflesh, 
the  skins  of  horses,  yea,  any  thing,  which,  by  being 
softened  and  cooked  in  any  way,  could  be  eaten, 
was  converted  into  food.  To  such  horrid  straits 
were  they  driven,  that  some  of  them  dug  up  the 
body  of  an  Indian,  who  had  been  slain  and  buried, 
and  feasted  upon  him  !  Others  took  the  bodies  of 
their  friends  who  died,  boiled  and  stewed  them  with 
roots  and  herbs  to  give  them  a  flavor,  and  used 
them  for  food  !  It  would  seem  as  if  human  nature 
could  not  descend  to  any  thing  more  revolting  than 
this ;  yet  there  were  lower  depths,  and  our  pen  hesi- 
tates to  record  the  repulsive  and  abominable  fact 
that  one  man  murdered  his  own  wife,  pulverized 
her,  and  had  eaten  a  portion  of  her  before  his  crime 
was  discovered,  for  which  he  was  subsequently  exe- 
cuted. So  extreme  were  the  sufferings  of  the  col- 
ony at  this  period,  that  for  many  years  afterwards 
it  was  spoken  of  as  "  the  starving  time."  Its  im- 
mediate effects  upon  the  settlement  were  peculiarly 


260  MANY    DIE. 

disastrous.  About  five  hundred  persons  whom  Cap- 
tain Smith  left,  at  the  time  of  his  departure  for 
England,  were  reduced,  in  the  course  of  six  months, 
to  the  small  number  of  sixty  !  Four  hundred  and 
forty  persons  died  in  half  a  year,  chiefly  from  the 
want  of  food !  Those  who  survived  were  in  a  mis- 
erable condition —  moving  skeletons,  living  upon  a 
scanty  supply  of  acorns,  nuts,  berries,  and  occasion- 
ally a  few  fish.  Without  relief  from  abroad,  they 
could  not  have  survived  ten  days  longer.  They 
must  all  have  died  of  starvation.  A  kind  Provi- 
dence so  ordered  it,  that  just  at  this  time,  when 
they  were  reduced  to  their  lowest  extremity,  sup- 
plies arrived  from  England. 

It  is  difficult  to  conceive  the  joy  which  the  sur 
vivors  of  that  perishing  colony  experienced,  when, 
upon  the  24th  of  May,  1610,  Sir  Thomas  Gates 
and  Sir  George  Somers  made  their  appearance, 
bringing  abundant  supplies  of  food  from  home.  It 
was  a  day  of  great  gladness.  It  filled  the  hearts 
of  the  despairing  with  hope,  and  inspired  the  dying 
with  new  life. 

When  "  these  two  noble  knights "  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  state  of  the  colony,  they  were 
painfully  affected.  As  so  large  a  proportion  of  the 
settlers  had  died,  as  the  survivors  were  so  weak, 
and  as  there  was  so  little  union  and  enterprise 
amongst  them,  it  was  considered  the  wiser  coursp 


JAMESTOWN  ABANDONED.  261 

to  take  them  all  back  to  England.  Accordingly 
they  all  embarked  for  that  purpose.  Many  of 
them  were  exceedingly  anxious  to  have  the  town 
and  fort  which,  though  rude,  had  been  erected  at 
great  labor  and  expense,  burned  to  the  ground. 
They  earnestly  entreated  that  this  might  be  done. 
But  Sir  Thomas  Gates  refused  to  comply  with  their 
wishes.  It  would  have  been  a  useless  and  wicked 
destruction  of  property.  The  wisdom  of  Gates's 
policy  was  soon  manifest ;  for,  after  sailing  a  short 
distance  down  the  river,  they  met  Lord  Delaware, 
who  had  been  appointed  Captain  General  of  Vir- 
ginia, coming  up  with  a  fleet  of  three  ships,  la- 
den with  stores,  farming  utensils,  weapons,  and 
all  kinds  of  necessaries.  He  caused  them  all  to 
return  to  Jamestown.  The  good  sense  of  Sir 
Thomas  Gates  in  preventing  the  destruction  of 
the  town  was  now  apparent,  as  it  gave  them  all 
homes  to  go  to ;  when,  if  their  own  unreasonable 
requests  had  been  granted,  they  would  have  been 
houseless. 

On  the  10th  of  June,  Lord  Delaware  landed  at 
the  settlement.  After  listening  to  a  sermon,  he 
read  his  commission,  and  immediately  proceeded  to 
business.  He  soon  ascertained  the  true  state  of 
things,  when,  by  cashiering  some  of  the  officers, 
appointing  new  ones,  allotting  to  every  man  some 
particular  kind  of  service,  and   giving  them  all  an 


262  LORD    DELAWARE. 

address,  in  which  was  good  advice  Wended  with 
threats  of  punishment  to  the  obstinate,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  establishing  affairs  upon  a  favorable 
footing,  and  infusing  into  the  whole  colony  new 
vigor. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

Pocahontas  concealed.  —  Treacherous  Japazaws.  —  His  cunning 
Plot.  —  Pocahontas  betrayed.  —  She  becomes  captive  to  Ar- 
gall.  —  Copper  Kettle. —  Powhatan's  Policy.  —  A  Truce. — 
Pocahontas  and  her  Brothers.  —  Messengers  to  Powhatan. — 
Are  unsuccessful.  —  Pocahontas  in  Love.  —  She  marries  an 
Englishman.  —  Effects  of  her  Marriage.  —  She  is  instructed  in 
Religion.  —  Is  converted.  —  Her  different  Names.  —  Stith's  Tes- 
timony of  her. 

It  seems  somewhat  remarkable  that,  after  Cap- 
tain Smith's  departure  from  Jamestown,  in  1609, 
Pocahontas  was  not  seen  there  again  till  1611.  It 
is  conjectured  that,  being  disgusted  with  the  conduct 
of  the  English,  she  retired  to  the  Potomac  River, 
that  she  might  not  witness  the  murders  which  fre- 
quently occurred  there.  Their  subsequent  treat- 
ment of  her  evinces  her  discretion  in  putting  a 
wide  distance  between  herself  and  them,  for  the 
next  chapter  in  her  history  was  the  experience  of 
English  treachery.  The  circumstances  were  as 
follows  :  In  1612,  Captain  Argall  arrived  at  James 
town  from  England.  The  stores  which  at  that 
time  were  brought  not  being  sufficient  for  the 
wants  of  the  colony,  he  was  sent  to  the  Potomac 
to  trade  with  the  Indians  there,  as  they  were  not 
quite  so  unfriendly  to  the  English  as  were  Powhatan 
and  his  followers.      Upon    his    arrival  there,  Argall 


204       POCAHONTAS  IN  CONCEALMENT. 

soon  formed  an  acquaintance  with  Japazaws,  the 
chief  of  the  Potomacs,  who  had  formerly  been  on 
friendly  terms  with  Captain  Smith  and  the  English, 
and  who  was  willing  to  perpetuate  that  friendship 
through  his  acquaintance  with  the  new  captain. 

At  that  time,  Pocahontas,  who  was  then  seven- 
teen or  eighteen  years  of  age,  was  living  in  con- 
cealment among  the  Potomacs,  the  place  of  her 
seclusion  being  known  to  only  a  few  confidential 
friends.  Argall  became  possessed  of  the  fact,  and 
immediately  determined  to  make  her,  if  possible,  a 
prisoner,  and  use  her  as  the  means  of  effecting  a 
treaty  of  peace  with  Powhatan.  He  accordingly 
projiosed  to  give  Japazaws  a  copper  kettle  if  he 
would  bring  Pocahontas  on  board  the  vessel.  To 
the  eye  of  this  ignorant  savage,  a  copper  kettle 
was  invested  with  great  attractions.  It  was  a 
temptation  too  strong  for  resistance  ;  and  for  this 
reward  he  agreed  to  betray  a  helpless  young  girl 
who  had  unsuspectingly  committed  herself  to  his 
protection.  It  may  serve  to  extenuate  somewhat 
the  treachery  of  this  Indian,  that  Captain  Argall 
promised  him  that  Pocahontas  should  receive  noth- 
ing but  good  treatment  ;  that  his  object  was  not  to 
injure  her,  but  simply  retain  her  as  a  prisoner  till 
he  could  negotiate  a  treaty  of  friendship  with  Pow- 
hatan, her  father. 

It    now   became    a    question    of  some   difficulty, 


POCAHONTAS  ENTRAPPED.  365 

How  shall  this  treachery  be  executed  without  Poc- 
ahontas detecting  it  ?  She  had  no  desire  to 
see  the  English,  and  no  curiosity  to  examine  the 
vessel,  having  seen  many  before.  Some  other 
motive  must  be  resorted  to,  some  secret  plan  de- 
vised. Japazaws  therefore  made  his  wife  feign 
great  anxiety  to  see  the  inside  of  the  ship,  and  told 
her  she  must  frequently  entreat  him  for  permission 
to  go  on  board.  He,  in  the  mean  time,  would 
refuse  his  consent,  until  her  importunity  should 
become  so  great  that  he  would  threaten  to  beat  her 
if  she  did  not  desist.  All  this  was  to  be  communi- 
cated to  Pocahontas,  and  after  a  while  he  would 
give  his  consent,  provided  Pocahontas  would  accom- 
pany her.  In  this  manner,  they  planned  to  make 
the  kindness  of  Pocahontas  the  means  of  her  cap- 
ture. The  bait  so  cunningly  prepared  took  with 
the  unsuspicious,  confiding  girl.  When  she  saw 
how  great  was  the  desire  of  the  wife  of  Japazaws 
to  visit  the  vessel,  and  that  her  husband  would  give 
his  permission  only  on  condition  that  she  would 
accompany  her,  such  was  her  obliging  disposition 
that  she  at  once  consented  to   go. 

Captain   Argall   received   them  with    great   cour- 
tesy, and  gave  them  an   entertainment  in   the  cabin 
When  a  convenient  opportunity  offered,  the  captain 
invited  Pocahontas  into  the    gun  room,  in  order  to 
conceal  from   her  that  Japazaws  was  any  wise  con- 


2G6       POCAHONTAS  BETRAYED  FOR  A  KETTLE. 

cerned  in  her  capture.  After  lie  had  given  the 
chief  the  promised  kettle,  he  told  them  Pocahontas 
was  his  prisoner,  and  she  must  remain  on  board  the 
vessel,  go  to  Jamestown,  and  assist  in  bringing 
about  friendly  relations  between  Powhatan  and  the 
English.  At  this,  the  hypocritical  Japazaws  and 
wife  began  to  howl  and  cry  in  the  most  distressed 
manner.  They  appeared  to  be  more  deeply  over- 
whelmed with  sorrow  than  Pocahontas,  though  she 
also  wept  freely  ;  but  by  the  explanations,  prom 
ises,  and  persuasions  of  the  captain,  she  was  grad- 
ually pacified.  In  this  deceitful  manner,  they 
blinded  the  eyes  of  the  poor  girl  to  the  fact  that 
she   was   betrayed   by    her   own   friends. 

Japazaws  and  his  wife,  having  received  the  cop- 
per kettle  and  a  few  other  toys,  went  ashore  satis- 
fied, leaving  the  noble-minded  Pocahontas  a  captive 
behind  them.  In  this  capacity  she  was  taken  back 
to  Jamestown,  which  she  had  not  visited  since  the 
departure   of  Captain   Smith. 

Intelligence  was  immediately  sent  to  her  father, 
that  his  daughter  was  held  a  captive  by  the  Eng- 
lish, and  he  must  ransom  her  by  returning  the 
men,  guns,  and  tools  which  he  and  his  people  had 
stolen  from  Jamestown.  Powhatan  was  greatly 
perplexed  by  this  communication.  He  knew  not 
what  to  do.  He  loved  his  daughter,  and  would 
have  rejoiced  at  her  release  ;   but,  at  the  same  tune, 


POWHATAN    PERPLEXED.  267 

he  strongly  desired  to  retain  the  men  and  coramod 
ities  which  he  had  deceitfully  obtained  from  the 
English.  The  consequence  was,  that  he  made  no 
reply  to  the  proposal  of  Captain  Argall  for  three 
months;  and  then  he  sent  to  Jamestown  seven  Eng- 
lishmen, each  bearing  a  broken,  useless  musket ; 
saying  that  all  the  other  weapons  were  either  stolen 
or  lost ;  yet,  when  they  released  his  daughter,  he 
would  make  ample  satisfaction  for  all  injuries  which 
they  had  experienced  from  his  people  ;  would  give 
them  five  hundred  bushels  of  corn,  and  ever  after- 
wards be  their  friend.  With  this  offer  the  English 
were  not  satisfied.  They  replied  that  they  did  not 
believe  that  the  rest  of  the  articles  were  stolen  or 
lost,  and  that  they  would  keep  Pocahontas  till  he 
sent  them  all  back,  treating  her,  however,  in  the 
mean  time,  with  kindness.  With  this  answer,  Pow- 
hatan was  so  much  offended,  that  he  had  no  com- 
munication with  them  for  a   long  time  afterwards. 

Finally,  Sir  Thomas  Dale  took  Pocahontas,  and 
went  in  Argall's  ship  to  Werowocomoco,  Powhatan's 
residence.  Upon  his  arrival  there,  the  chief  was 
absent.  Dale  informed  the  Indians  that  he  had 
come  to  deliver  up  Pocahontas  ;  but  he  received 
from  them  only  insults  and  bravadoes.  "  If  you 
have  come  to  fight,  you  are  welcome  ;  but  we  ad- 
vise you  to  return,  or  you  will  receive  the  same 
treatment  as  we  gave   Captain  Ratcliffe."     As  Dale 


268  BROTHERS    OF    POCAHONTAS    VISIT    HER. 

had  his  own  opinion  as  to  what  he  had  better  do,  he 
paid  no  other  heed  to  their  advice  than  to  engage 
in  conflict  with  them.  After  some  fighting,  attended 
with  the  destruction  of  a  number  of  their  houses, 
they  came  to  terms,  and  sent  messengers  after  Pow 
hatan.  As,  however,  Dale  discovered  certain  treach- 
erous proceedings  on  their  part,  he  told  them  that 
he  would  give  them  a  truce  till  noon  of  the  next 
day  ;  and  if  by  that  time  the  articles  which  they 
had  stolen  from  the  English  were  not  returned,  or 
a  direct  answer  to  his  demands  given,  they  might 
expect  to  be  attacked  —  the  signal  of  which  would 
be  the  sound  of  their  trumpets  and  drums. 

Two  of  Powhatan's  sons  took  advantage  of  tlua 
truce,  and  went  on  board  the  vessel  to  see  their 
sister.  Having  previously  heard  that  she  was  not 
well,  they  were  greatly  rejoiced  to  find  that  report 
false-  Her  health  was  good,  notwithstanding  her 
long  confinement,  and  she  was  highly  gratified  tc 
have  this  interview  with  her  brothers,  who  promised 
to  persuade  their  father  to  redeem  her,  and  to  be 
forever  afterwards  on  friendly  terms  with  the  Eng 
lish. 

As  nothing  was  heard  from  Powhatan,  Mr.  Join: 
Rolfe  ai  d  Mr.  Sparks  were  sent  to  hi  in  to  open 
negotiations.  They  met  with  a  courteous  reception 
from  the  Indians  ;  but  the  haughty  king  would  nol 
admit  them  intc  his  presence.      The  best  they  could 


POCAHONTAS    IN    LOVE.  269 

do  was  to  hold  communication  with  his  brother, 
Opechancanough,  who  promised  to  do  all  in  his 
power  to  bring  about  friendly  relations  with  Pow- 
hatan. 

It  being  now  April,  the  time  for  them  to  prepare 
their  ground  for  the  reception  of  corn,  and  Pow- 
hatan obstinately  refusing  to  come  to  terms,  they 
returned  to  Jamestown,  taking  with  them  the  cap- 
tive Indian   princess. 

The  history  of  Pocahontas  is  not  exclusively  of  a 
tragic  character.  It  has  a  dash  of  the  romantic. 
She  was  as  susceptible  of  the  tender  passion  as 
ladies  who  are  blessed  with  a  lighter  complexion 
and  a  more  refined  education.  The  unpleasantness 
of  her  imprisonment  was  greatly  alleviated  by  the 
engagement  of  her  affections.  The  person  for 
whom  she  cherished  this  tender  interest  was  Mr. 
John  Rolfe,  who  is  described  by  the  record  of  those 
times  as  an  "  honest  gentleman  and  of  good  be- 
havior." The  attachment  was  mutual,  and  had 
existed  a  considerable  length  of  time  before  it  was 
publicly  known.  Being  desirous  of  making  her 
his  wife,  and  yet  not  knowing  how  it  would  be 
received  by  the  authorities,  nor  what  course  to  pur- 
sue in  the  emergency,  (she  being  an  Indian,  a 
princess,  and  a  captive,)  Rolfe  addressed  a  letter 
to  Sir  Thomas  Dale,  in  which  he  acquainted  him 
with  the  facts  of  the  case,  and  solicited  his  advice 
23* 


270 


POCAHONTAS    MARRIED. 


Pocahontas  at  the  same  time  communicated  the 
story  of  her  love  to  her  brother,  who  conveyed  the 
information  to  Powhatan. 

Sir    Thomas   Dale   and   Powhatan   approved   the 


Marriage  of  Pocahontas. 


match,  regarding  it,  probably,   as   favorable   to  the 
promotion  of  peace   between  the  two  nations.     In 


SHE    IS    INSTRUCTED.  271 

the  course  of  ten  days,  Powhatan  sent  Opachiseo, 
an  old  uncle  of  Pocahontas,  and  two  of  her  broth- 
ers, as  his  representatives,  to  officiate  in  his  behalf 
at  the  wedding.  All  things  being  ready,  the  im- 
portant ceremony  of  marriage  was  solemnized  in  the 
beginning  of  April,  1613,  and  Mr.  John  Rolfe  became 
the  son-in-law  of  the  renowned  Emperor  Powhatan. 

The  influence  of  this  marriage  was  eminently 
serviceable  in  bringing  about  friendly  relations  and 
favorable  commercial  arrangements  between  the 
English  and  the  Indians  under  Powhatan. 

In  addition  to  this,  it  was  also  the  means  of 
securing  a  treaty  of  amity  with  the  powerful  tribe 
of  Chickahominies,  who  consented  to  become  the 
subjects  of  the  King  of  England,  to  assist  the  col- 
onists in  time  of  war,  and  also  to  pay  them  a  yearly 
tribute  of  grain.  The  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife 
were  buried  at  the  hymeneal  altar. 

After  this  important  marriage,  special  pains  were 
taken  to  instruct  the  young  bride  in  the  principles 
of  the  Christian  religion.  Being  of  a  quick  under- 
standing, of  good  natural  abilities,  and  at  the  same 
time  ardently  desiring  knowledge,  she  made  rapid 
progress.  Being  convinced  of  the  sinfulness  of 
idolatry,  she  openly  abandoned  the  religion  of  her 
people,  made  a  profession  of  Christianity,  and  was 
christened  by  the  name  of  Rebecca.  It  is  said  that 
her    original   name   was    Matoaks;  but    under    the 


272        POCAHONTAS  IS  CONVERTED. 

influence  of  some  superstitious  notion,  this  was 
concealed  from  the  English  by  the  Indians,  who 
changed  her  name  to  Pocahontas,  a  word  which, 
the  Moravian  missionary  Heckewelder  says,  means 
a  run  between  two  hills.  Stith  says,  "  She  was  the 
first  Christian  Indian  in  these  parts,  and  perhaps 
the  sincerest  and  most  worthy  that  has  ever  been 
since.  And  now  she  has  no  manner  of  desire  to 
return  to  her  father ;  neither  could  she  well  endure 
the  brutish  manners  or  society  of  her  own  nation. 
Her  affection  to  her  husband  was  extremely  con- 
stant and  true  ;  and  he,  on  the  other  hand,  under- 
went great  torment  and  pain  out  of  his  violent 
passion  and  tender  solicitude    "or   her." 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

Pocahontas  visits  England.  —  Smith's  Letter  to  the  Queen.  —  He 
meets  Pocahontas.  —  Her  Coolness  and  Rebukes.  —  Smith's 
Apology.  —  Reply  of  Pocahontas. —  Smith  introduces  her  to 
the  Nobility.  —  Pocahontas  visits  the  King  and  Queen.  —  Her 
graceful  Deportment.  —  She  goes  to  various  Places  of  Amuse- 
ment. —  Her  Husband  appointed  Secretary.  —  Pocahontas 
dies.  —  Sorrow  and  Joy.  —  She  leaves  one  Child.  —  Steukley's 
Treacher}'.  —  Her  Child  taken  to  his  Uncle's.  —  The  Descend- 
ants of  Pocahontas.  —  John  Randolph.  —  Story  of  Tomocomo. 

About  three  years  after  her  marriage,  Mrs. 
Pocahontas  Rolfe,  under  the  care  of  Sir  Thomas 
Dale,  visited  England.  She  was  accompanied  by 
her  husband  and  several  young  Indians  of  both 
sexes.  They  arrived  safely  at  Plymouth  on  the 
12th   of  June,   1616. 

Captain  John  Smith,  whom  Pocahontas  had  not 
seen  since  his  return  to  England,  prior  to  her  cap- 
tivity, was  then  engaged  in  preparation  for  a  voyage 
to  New  England.  He  deeply  regretted  that  the 
multiplicity  of  his  engagements  presented  an  insur- 
mountable barrier  to  his  making  a  trip  to  Plymouth 
to  see  her.  He  was  sensible  of  his  obligations  to 
her  for  her  past  invaluable  services,  and  was  dis- 
posed to  extend  to  her  every  attention  and  courtesy 
in  his  power ;  and,  therefore,  as  he  could  not  visit 
her,  he  wrote  a  letter  in  her  behalf  to  the  queen,  in 


274  smith's  letter  to  the  queen. 

vvliicli  lie  specified  the  important  services  which  she 
had  rendered  to  him  and  the  colony  in  Virginia  ; 
the  great  perils  she  incurred  on  their  account ;  her 
imprisonment ;  and,  finally,  her  marriage  to  an 
Englishman,  and  her  conversion  to  Christianity. 
He  then  entreats  the  queen  to  show  her  marks  of 
royal  favor,  saying,  "  If  she  should  not  be  well 
received,  seeing  this  kingdom  may  rightly  have  a 
kingdom  by  her  means,  her  present  love  to  us 
and  Christianity  might  turn  to  such  scorn  and  fury 
as  to  divert  all  this  good  to  the  worst  of  evil,  where 
finding  so  great  a  queen  should  do  her  some  honor, 
more  than  she  can  imagine,  for  being  so  kind  to 
your  servants  and  subjects,  would  so  ravish  her 
with  content,  as  to  endear  her  dearest  blood  to 
effect  that  your  majesty's  and  all  the  king's  honest 
subjects  most  earnestly  desire.  And  so  I  humbly 
kiss  your   gracious   hands." 

This  letter  does  honor  to  the  heart  of  Smith.  It. 
exhibits  an  earnest  desire  that  his  friend  Pocahontas 
might  meet  with  an  honorable  reception  at  court, 
and  a  willing  disposition  to  do  all  in  his  power  to 
accomplish  that  important  end.  It  is  illustrative, 
also,  of  his  great  sagacity  in  its  predictions  of  what 
would  be  the  happy  influence,  in  Virginia,  of  the 
treatment  which  she   should   receive  in   England. 

Unexpectedly,  however,  Pocahontas  came  to 
London  before    Captain    Smith   left.      So   great  was 


POCAHONTAS  OFFENDED.  275 

the  contrast  between  the  pure  and  healthful  air  of 
Virginia  and  the  dingy,  smoky  atmosphere  of  the 
great  English  metropolis,  that  the  Indian  princess 
could  not  remain  there  with  any  comfort.  She  was 
therefore  taken  to  Brentford.  When  Smith  knew 
of  her  arrival,  he,  with  several  friends,  went  there 
to  see  her.  After  giving  him  a  very  cool  recep- 
tion, she  passionately  turned  from  him,  and  did  not 
speak  again  for  two  or  three  hours.  She  was  evi- 
dently offended.  Smith  now  felt  mortified  that  he 
had  said  she  could  speak  English.  But  after  this 
long  and  significant  silence,  she  began  to  speak. 
She  reminded  Smith  of  the  many  favors  she  had 
done  him  in  Virginia,  and  of  the  strong  professions 
of  friendship  which  had  been  exchanged  between 
him  and  her  father.  "  You  promised  my  father," 
said  she,  "  that  what  was  yours  should  be  his,  and 
that  you  and  he  would  be  all  one.  When  you 
were  a  stranger  in  our  country,  you  called  Pow- 
hatan father,  and  I  for  the  same  reason  will  now 
call  you  father." 

Although  Smith  cherished  a  sincere  interest  in 
her  welfare,  and  was  willing,  as  we  have  seen  from 
his  letter  to  the  queen,  to  use  his  influence  to  pro- 
mote her  happiness,  yet  such  was  the  jealousy  of 
the  court,  and  such  his  own  views  of  the  prerog- 
atives of  royalty,  that  he  did  not  dare  to  allow  her 
the    liberty    of   calling    him    father.      She    was    an 


27G  INTERVIEW    WITH    SMITH. 

emperor's  daughter  —  a  princess.  He  feared,  there- 
fore, that  to  allow  himself  to  be  called  her  father 
would  be  interpreted  as  an  ambitious  desire  tc 
aspire  above  the  appropriate  condition  of  a  private 
citizen,  and  would  bring  down  upon  him  the  dis 
pleasure  of  his  sovereign.  It  seems,  however,  thai 
Pocahontas  did  not  perceive  the  force  of  his  objec- 
tions;  for  when,  for  these  reasons,  he  desired  hei 
not  to  address  him  by  this  familiar  title,  she  admin 
istered  to  him,  in  a  calm  voice,  and  with  a  stern, 
fixed  countenance,  a  cutting  rebuke.  "  You  were 
not  afraid,"  said  the  indignant  lady,  "  to  come  into 
my  father's  country,  and  strike  a  fear  into  every 
body  but  myself;  and  are  you  here  afraid  to  let  me 
call  you  father  ?  I  tell  you  then,"  continued  she 
with  increasing  confidence,  "  I  will  call  you  father, 
and  you  shall  call  me  child  ;  and  so  I  will  forever 
be  of  your  kindred  and  countrv.  Thev  always  told 
us  you  were  dead  ;  and  I  knew  no  otherwise  till  1 
came  to  Plymouth.  But  Powhatan  commanded 
Tomocomo  to  seek  you  out  and  know  the  truth, 
because  your  countrymen  are  much  given  to 
lying." 

How  Captain  Smith  received  this  reproof  we  are 
not  informed.  Nor  why  he  had  not  kept  up  some 
kind  of  correspondence  with  Pocahontas,  or  her 
father,  we  know  not.  It  would  not  have  been  diffi- 
cult   for    him  to  have    occasionally  sent    her  some 


POCAHONTAS    AT    COURT.  277 

trifling  present  as  a  testimony  of  his  remembrance 
of  the  many  favors  which  she  had  conferred  upon 
him.  Of  one  thing  we  may  be  certain,  and  that  is, 
that  it  did  not  arise  from  ingratitude.  However  his 
conduct  may  have  had  the  appearance  of  neglect, 
now  that  she  had  come  to  his  country,  he  made  up 
for  it  in  his  constant  attentions  to  her  wants.  Her 
acquaintance  was  eagerly  sought  by  the  nobility  and 
other  influential  classes. 

As  the  relations  between  her  and  Smith  were 
generally  known,  he  was  applied  to  daily  by  cour- 
tiers and  others  for  introductions  to  her.  He  gladly 
availed  himself  of  these  opportunities  to  make  her 
acquainted  with  wealthy  and  honorable  families, 
who  cheerfully  extended  to  her  those  elegant  hos- 
pitalities and  attentions  which  greatly  conduced  to 
her  enjoyment.  His  letter  in  her  behalf  to  the 
queen  was  not  without  its  influence  ;  for  she  re- 
ceived an  invitation  to  mingle  in  the  festivities  of 
the  court,  where  she  was  most  graciously  received 
by  Ring  James  I.  and  his  royal  consort,  Queen  Ann. 
Those  who  had  expected  to  see  a  wild,  rude,  un- 
couth, female  savage,  ignorant  of  or  regardless  of 
the  proprieties  of  cultivated  society,  striding  awk- 
wardly through  the  magnificent  saloons,  and  gaping 
with  unconcealed  wonder  at  the  brilliant  decorations 
of  royalty,  were  greatly  but  pleasantly  disappointed. 
The  whole  court  were  surprised  and  delighted  with 
24 


278  DEATH    OF     POCAHONTAS. 

the  amiableness  of  her  disposition,  and  the  elegant 
and  easy  gracefulness  of  her  manners.  It  was  gen- 
erally admitted,  that  there  were  many  English  ladies 
whose  personal  appearance  and  gentility  of  deport- 
ment were  not  equal  to  hers. 

Under  the  protection  of  Lady  Delaware  and 
other  persons  of  distinction,  she  was  taken  to 
masks,  balls,  theatres,  and  various  other  places  of 
fashionable  amusement,  to  which  the  upper  classes 
were  accustomed  to  resort,  with  which  she  was 
wonderfully  delighted.  She  seems  to  have  been  a 
favorite  among  the  nobility,  who  vied  with  each 
other  in  their  efforts  to  promote  her  enjoyment. 
But  alas  !  these  pleasures  were  destined  to  be  of 
short  duration.  As  the  time  approached  for  her  to 
return  to  America  with  her  husband,  who  had 
received  the  appointment  of  secretary  and  recorder 
general  of  Virginia,  she  was  taken  sick,  and  died 
at  Gravesend  in  the  twenty-second  year  of  her  age. 
Her  unexpected  decease  was  witnessed  with  mingled 
sorrow  and  joy,  —  sorrow  that  one  whose  history 
had  been  so  eventful,  whose  character  was  so  much 
admired,  and  who,  on  her  return,  might,  by  her 
abilities  and  position  in  the  colony,  have  been 
eminently  useful,  had  met  with  such  an  early  doom  ; 
and  joy,  that  in  her  last  illness,  she  was  sustained 
by    the    consolations  of   religion,   and   died,  as  she 


DESCENDANTS  OF   POCAHONTAS.       279 

had  lived  since  her  conversion,  a  sincere  and  devout 
Christian, 

She  left  one  child,  a  son,  who  was  named  Thom- 
as Rolfe.  He  was  committed  to  the  care  of  Sir 
Lewis  Steukley,  who  manifested  an  earnest  desire 
to  have  charge  of  his  education  ;  but  being  de- 
tected in  "  a  notable  piece  of  treachery  towards 
him,"  the  child  was  taken  from  him.  Steukley 
was  an  unprincipled  character,  and  being  convicted 
of  certain  corrupt  practices,  he  obtained  a  short 
lease  of  life  at  the  expense  of  his  whole  fortune, 
and  finally  died,  unwept  and  unhonored,  in  a  state 
of  degraded  indigence. 

Young  Rolfe  was  taken  to  London,  and  placed 
under  the  charge  of  his  uncle,  Mr.  Henry  Rolfe. 
He  subsequently  came  to  this  country,  where  he 
acquired  a  fortune,  and  attained  to  considerable 
distinction.  He  had  one  daughter,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Colonel  Robert  Boiling.  The  issue  of  this 
marriage  was  one  son,  Major  John  Boiling,  who 
became  the  father  of  one  son  and  several  daughters, 
the  latter  of  whom  married  Colonel  Richard  Ran- 
dolph, Colonel  John  Fleming,  Dr.  William  Gay, 
Mr.  Thomas  Eldridge,  and  Mr.  James  Murray ; 
"  so  that  this  remnant  of  the  imperial  family  of 
Virginia,  which  long  ran  in  a  single  person,  is  now 
increased  and  branched  out  into  a  very  numerous 
progeny."     The   blood    of  the  famous  Pocahontas 


280  JOHN    RANDOLPH. 

now  circulates  in  the  veins  of  some  of  the  most 
wealthy  and  aristocratic  families  of  the  Old  Do- 
minion ;  and  it  is  well  known  to  have  been  the 
boast  of  the  late  eccentric  John  Randolph,  that 
this  honorable  distinction  belonged  to  him,  he  being 
one  of  her  lineal  descendants. 

Tomocomo,  the  Indian  to  whom  Pocahontas 
referred  in  her  conversation  with  Captain  Smith, 
was  her  brother-in-law,  he  having  married  one 
of  her  sisters.  Being  a  person  of  more  than 
ordinary  ability,  he  sustained  to  Powhatan  the  im- 
portant relations  of  chief  counsellor  and  priest. 
He  was  sent  over  to  England  with  Pocahontas, 
with  instructions  not  only  to  make  inquiries  con- 
cerning Captain  Smith,  but  also  to  count  and 
bring  home  to  Powhatan  the  number  of  the  peo- 
ple there.  When  he  arrived  at  Plymouth,  in 
England,  he  obtained  a  long  stick,  in  order  that 
he  might  keep  exact  tally  of  the  number  of  people 
whom  he  should  see.  He  began  his  herculean 
task,  not  knowing  the  amount  of  labor  which 
was  before  him.  For  every  person  he  saw,  he 
made  a  notch  in  his  stick  ;  but  after  a  while, 
when  his  stick  was  converted  into  a  kind  of  coarse 
file  or  saw  by  the  notches  cut  in  it,  he  was 
convinced  of  the  futility  of  his  labor,  and  gave 
it  up  in  despair.  After  his  return  to  America, 
when    Powhatan    required  a  report   of   his    'sbors, 


TOMOCOMO.  281 

and  asked  especially  for  the  number  of  the  people 
of  England,  Tomocomo,  in  a  truly  poetic  spirit, 
told  him  to  "  count  the  stars  in  the  sky,  the 
leaves  on  the  trees,  and  the  sand  upon  the  sea- 
shore, for  such  is  the  multitude  of  the  English," 
24* 


CHAPTER     XXIV. 

Vonng  Ladies  imported. —  Interesting  Scene.  —  Long-  Courtship! 
prevented.  —  Buying  Wives.  —  Their  Value  in  Tobacco.  —  Wise 
Arrangement. —  Its  desirable  Effects.  —  Slaves  introduced.— 
Increase  of  Plantations.  —  Deceptive  Peace.  —  A  dark  Plot 
forming.  —  An  extensive  Conspiracy. —  A  dreadful  Massacre.— 
Barbarous  Mutilations.  —  Jamestown  saved.  —  Chanco's  Dis- 
closure.—  Etfects  of  the  Massacre. 

In  IG19,  a  novel  measure  was  adopted,  which  had 
an  important  hearing  upon  the  welfare  of  the  col- 
ony. The  men  who  were  there  had  embarked  in 
the  enterprise  for  the  acquisition  of  wealth.  Instead 
of  regarding  Virginia  as  their  permanent  home,  they 
looked  upon  it  only  as  a  field  for  profitable  adven- 
ture ;  and  their  intention  was  to  remain  there  suffi- 
ciently long  for  the  acquisition  of  a  fortune,  and  then 
return  to  England  to  enjoy  it.  So  long  as  these 
views  and  intentions  prevailed,  the  growth  of  the 
colony  would  be  impeded.  The  settlers  must  be 
taught  to  regard  that  as  their  home,  and  to  make 
their  arrangements  accordingly,  before  any  hope  of 
permanent  thrift  and  advancement  could  be  reason- 
ably cherished*  To  accomplish  this  desirable  object, 
it  was  necessary  that  a  strong  female  influence  should 
be  thrown  into  the  colony.  For  this  purpose  the 
treasurer,    Sir  Edwin    Sandys,   provided    a    passage 


SEARCHING    FOR    WIVES.  283 

from  England  for  ninety  young  women  of  poor 
parentage,  but  agreeable  in  their  appearance  and  of 
good  character,  to  furnish  wives  for  the  colonists. 
This  was  a  commodity  for  which  there  was  a  ready 
demand.  It  was  not  long  before  these  enterprising 
females  found  themselves  provided  with  a  husband 
and  a  home. 

This  operated  so  favorably  that  next  year  another 
company  of  sixty  was  sent  over.  They  are  de- 
scribed as  maids  of  virtuous  education,  young,  hand- 
some, and  well  recommended. 

The  reader  may  be  curious  to  know  how  these 
valuable  articles  were  disposed  of,  and  what  it  cost 
in  those  early  times  to  obtain  a  helpmeet. 

As  the  young  ladies  were  sent  over  at  the  expense 
of  the  colony,  they  were  sold  to  the  planters,  so  that 
their  importation  might  entail  no  actual  loss  to  the 
general  treasury,  but  rather  produce  a  profit. 

Tt  is  left  for  the  reader  to  imagine  the  scene 
which  was  presented,  when  it  was  known  that  a 
company  of  young  ladies  had  crossed  the  ocean,  and 
had  come  to  the  colony  on  purpose  to  become  the 
wives  of  those  who  might  invite  them  to  sustain  that 
relation.  With  what  interest  was  the  vessel  visited 
by  the  young  men  of  the  settlement,  and  how  eagerly 
did  they  cast  their  eyes  among  the  groups  of  fail 
passengers  to  find  one  whom  they  thought  they  could 
love,  and  of  whom  to  make  a  companion  for  life  ! 


234  SHORT    COURTaHIPS. 

With  what  solicitude,  too,  did  the  young  ladits 
regard  the  close  inspection,  and  listen  to  the  thought- 
less, mirthful,  and  sometimes  indelicate  remarks  of 
these  gallants,  with  one  of  whom,  hut  which  one 
they  knew  not,  they  would  soon  be  identified  in  in- 
terest, if  not  in  affection,  for  better  or  for  worse, 
during  life  !  Courtships  were  necessarily  short. 
Engagements  had  to  be  negotiated  rapidly,  for,  as 
the  supply  was  not  equal  to  the  demand,  if  any  gen- 
tleman hesitated  in  coming  to  a  decision  with  refer- 
ence to  any  young  lady,  he  was  in  danger  of  being 
superseded  by  some  of  his  companions  more  prompt 
than  himself. 

Of  the  first  lot  of  ninety,  a  wife  was  sold  for  one 
hundred  pounds  of  tobacco  !  But  in  a  short  time 
their  value  so  highly  increased  that  they  would  bring 
a  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of  tobacco.  If  any  man, 
not  having  on  hand  the  requisite  amount  of  weed, 
obtained  a  wife  on  credit,  that  debt  was  regarded  as 
one  of  especial  honor,  and  was  to  be  cancelled  be- 
fore others.  As  an  additional  motive  to  marriage, 
married  men  were  allowed  to  have  more  influence 
in  the  colony  than  others,  by  being  generally  ele- 
vated to  official  stations.  All,  therefore,  who  were 
ambitious  of  distinction  found  it  necessary  to  get  a 
wife.  Single  blessedness  was  not  the  road  to  a 
single  honor. 

The  arrangement  was  wise,  and  worked  well ;   (or 


INTRODUCTION  OF  SLAVERY.         285 

domestic  ties,  and  associations  of  home,  wife,  and 
mother  Avere  formed.  The  men  felt  they  had  some- 
thing to  live  and  labor  for  besides  themselves.  They 
became  attached  to  the  soil,  and  interested  more 
deeply  than  ever  in  the  general  welfare  of  the  col- 
ony. Social  feelings  and  offices  of  good  neighbor- 
hood were  cultivated,  by  which  general  happiness 
was  promoted.  From  this  time  the  number  of  emi- 
grants so  rapidly  increased,  that  within  three  years 
thirty-five  hundred  people  came  into  Virginia. 

In  1G20,  another  lot  of  emigrants  was  brought 
into  Virginia,  of  a  different  character  and  for  another 
purpose,  who  were  destined  to  exert  a  great  but 
deleterious  influence  upon  the  whole  country.  These 
were  a  gang  of  negro  slaves,  who  had  been  intro- 
duced into  the  colony  by  a  Dutch  man-of-war.  This 
may  be  regarded  as  the  commencement  of  African 
slavery  in  the  United  States,  which,  from  twenty 
unfortunate  individuals,  has,  by  various  means,  so 
widely  extended,  that  at  the  present  time  there  are 
more  slaves  in  the  country  than  equal  the  whole 
population  of  the  United  States  at  the  close  of  the 
American  revolution. 

After  emigrants  began  to  come  into  the  colony  in 
considerable  numbers,  new  settlements  were  formed. 
As  tobacco  had  become  an  important  article  of  com- 
merce, the  people  were  decided  in  their  choice  of  a 
place  for  settle*  lent  by  the  adaptedness  of  the  soil 


236  SETTLEMENTS    MULTIPLIED. 

to  raise  that  nauseous,  yet  profitable  weed.  Wheievei 
the  land  appeared  rich  and  attractive,  there  a  young 
colony  would  be  commenced.  As  treaties  of  peace 
had  been  concluded  with  different  tribes  of  Indians, 
and  they  were  so  fully  aware  of  the  superiority  of 
English  fire-arms  over  their  own  weapons  of  wood 
and  twine  as  to  be  convinced  that  war  was  bad  pol- 
icy for  themselves,  the  English  were  seldom  troubled 
by  them.  Hence  the  emigrants  were  not  unwilling 
to  form  new  settlements  at  a  considerable  distance 
from  Jamestown.  By  1622,  there  were  about  eighty 
separate  plantations,  extending  over  a  space  of  coun- 
try of  a  hundred  and  forty  miles  on  both  sides  of 
James  River,  and  also  on  the  Potomac.  So  little 
trouble  had  existed  between  the  Indians  and  the 
whites  for  a  considerable  period,  so  kind  and  gentle 
had  the  natives  appeared,  that  all  fear  of  danger, 
and  all  suspicion  of  treachery,  were  removed  from 
the  minds  of  the  colonists.  The  Indians  were  per- 
mitted to  visit  the  settlements  and  mingle  with  the 
people  with  the  greatest  freedom.  The  law  which 
had  been  passed  against  allowing  them  to  use  fire- 
arms was  a  dead  letter,  and  they  were  not  only  per- 
mitted their  use,  but  were  employed  by  the  settlers 
as  hunters  and  fowlers,  to  scour  the  woods  and  field? 
for  deer  and  wild  fowl,  by  which  means  they  became 
expert  in  the  use  of  the  musket.  As  one  object, 
which  was  frequently  enjoined  upon  the  colonists  in 


FATAL    FEARLESSNESS.  287 

the  instructions  of  the  council,  was  the  conversion  of 
the  Indians  to  Christianity,  they  uniformly  received 
them  in  the  most  cordial  manner,  invited  them  to 
their  tables,  and  furnished  them  with  lodging,  that 
by  means  of  kind  hospitality  they  might  secure  their 
confidence  and  respect,  and  in  this  manner  pre- 
pare them  for  the  favorable  reception  of  religious 
instruction. 

All  of  this  kindness,  unsuspiciousness,  and  famil- 
iarity was  eminently  favorable  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  a  deep-laid  Indian  plot,  for  the  total  over- 
throw of  the  English  settlements. 

After  the  death  of  Powhatan,  which  occurred  in 
1618,  his  brother  Opechancanough  became  his  sue 
cessor.  The  new  chief,  or  emperor,  was  artful, 
treacherous,  revengeful,  and  merciless.  He  disliked 
the  whites,  had  often  made  them  trouble,  was  jealous 
at  their  increase,  and  burned  for  an  opportunity  to 
cut  them  all  off,  and  rid  the  land  of  their  hated  pres- 
ence. Knowing  that  nothing  could  be  gained  by 
an  open  war  with  them,  he  resorted  to  another  ex- 
pedient. He,  with  the  greatest  caution  and  subtlety, 
arranged  an  infernal  p'ot  to  butcher  them  all  in 
cold  blood.  On  the  same  day  and  the  same  hour 
the  horrid  war  whoop  was  to  sound  along  the  whole 
line  of  the  settlements  on  James  River,  and  the  In- 
dians, previously  stationed  and  prepared  with  the 
weapons  of  the  unsuspecting  whites,   were  to  dart 


288  A    GREAT    CONSPIRACY. 

upon  them  at  a  moment's  warning,  and  cut  them 
down,  without  regard  to  age,  sex,  condition,  or 
character.  It  was  a  magnificent  scheme  of  treachery, 
the  conception  of  a  mind  capable  of  devising  plans 
of  revengeful  cruelty  upon  an  extended  scale. 

Of  course  great  pains  were  taken  to  conceal  the 
plot  from  the  English.  A  treaty  of  peace  with  them 
was  confirmed.  A  messenger,  who  was  sent  to 
Opechancanough,  was  treated  by  him  with  unusual 
courtesy  and  kindness,  and  was  assured  by  the  de- 
ceitful chief  that  he  "held  the  treaty  of  peace  so 
firm  that  it  was  easier  for  the  sky  to  fall  than  for 
him  to  violate  it."  Yea,  such  was  the  dissimulation 
of  the  others,  that  two  days  before  the  fatal  catas- 
trophe, they  safely  guided  the  English  through  the 
forests,  and  sent  to  the  plantation  one  who  had  been 
living  among  them  in  order  to  acquire  their  lan- 
guage. On  the  evening  preceding,  and  even  on  the 
morning  of  the  dreadful  day,  they  visited  the  colo- 
nies, as  at  other  times,  unarmed,  bringing  deer,  tur- 
keys, fish,  fruits,  and  other  articles  for  sale,  and  in 
some  places  they  even  took  breakfast  with  those 
whom  in  a  few  hours  they  intended  deliberately  to 
murder. 

Yet  so  carefully  were  the  arrangements  of  this 
plot  carried  out,  that,  whilst  the  English  were  kept 
in  profound  ignorance,  the  Indians  were  all  ac- 
quainted  with  it,  and,  though   their   dwellings  werf 


A    DAKK    CLOUD    GATHERING.  289 

in  many  instances  widely  scattered  from  each  other, 
yet  they  all  had  warning  one  from  another ;  they 
were  informed  Of  the  precise  day  and  hour  ;  they 
each  had  their  particular  plantation  designated  on 
which  they  were  to  fall,  and  their  posts  and  parts 
assigned  in  the  bloody  tragedy.  There  is  some* 
thing  oppressively  painful  in  the  contemplation  of 
this  dark  cloud,  filled  with  the  elements  of  death, 
slowly  gathering  over  their  devoted  heads,  and  ap- 
proaching nearer  and  nearer  upon  its  dreadful 
errand,  whilst  the  doomed  victims  are  attending 
to  their  usual  employments  or  sports,  in  entire 
unconsciousness  of  danger,  to  be  aroused  to  a  re- 
alization of  their  peril  only  when  the  descending 
thunderbolt  shall  convince  them  it  is  too  late  to 
escape. 

At  noon,  on  the  22d  of  March,  1622,  the  ap- 
pointed day  and  hour,  the  cloud  burst.  The  Indians, 
who  were  all  at  their  stations,  and  who,  from  their 
familiarity  with  the  whites,  knew  where  all  their 
guns  and  swords  were  kept,  secretly  seized  a  weapon, 
and  simultaneously  rose  upon  the  colonists,  and  com- 
menced an  indiscriminate  slaughter.  So  sudden 
was  the  blow,  that  many  never  knew  with  what 
weapon,  nor  by  whose  hand,  they  were  struck. 
Blood  flowed  freely  in  every  direction.  The  air 
resounded  with  the  shrieks  of  the  wounded,  the 
dying,  and  of  horrified  spectators,  who  knew  that 
ok 


200  A    DREADFUL    MASSACRE. 

their  turn  would  come  next,  and  that  escape  was 
impossible.  The  innocence  of  infancy,  the  helpless- 
ness of  womanhood,  and  the  hoary  hairs  of  age  fur- 
nished no  protection.  Wisdom,  piety,  and  benevo- 
lence presented  no  barrier.  All  who  could  be 
reached  were  slain,  and  generally  with  their  own 
weapons.  Some  of  the  perfidious  executioners 
entered  the  houses  professedly  to  trade,  others  drew 
their  victims  abroad  by  one  pretence  and  another, 
while  the  rest  scattered  themselves  amongst  the  men 
as  they  were  engaged  in  the  fields  or  shops,  in  or- 
der that  their  work  of  blood  might  be  the  more 
certain  and  rapid.  In  one  short  hour  three  hun- 
dred and  forty-seven  persons  were  thus  cruelly  mur- 
dered by  these  treacherous  savages  !  It  was  a  day 
of  gloominess  and  thick  darkness  for  the  colony. 
Husbands  and  wives,  parents  and  children,  masters 
and  servants,  fell  horribly  butchered,  and  mingled 
their  blood  together.  Not  satisfied  with  their  death, 
the  barbarians  mangled  their  lifeless  bodies,  tore 
them  to  pieces  as  if  they  had  been  so  many  ravenous 
beasts,  and  carried  their  bleeding  parts  away  as  evi- 
dence of  their  merciless  triumph,  and  as  fitting 
material  on  which  to  wreak  their  yet  unsatiated 
vengeance. 

Still  the  massacre  was  not  universal.  Though 
the  plot  was  well  matured  and  skilfully  arranged. 
vet  it  failed  of  accomplishing  the  entire  destruction  of 


tin.    fL,ur    DISCLOSED.  291 

the  English,  or  of  even  producing  any  bloodshed  at 
Jamestown,  the  oldest  and  largest  settlement  in  Vir- 
ginia, and  which  was  particularly  obnoxious  to  the 
Indians  on  that  account.  The  reason  of  this  signal 
failure  was  as  follows  :  Mr.  Richard  Pace  had  a 
converted  Indian,  named  Chanco,  in  his  employ, 
who  lived  in  his  family,  and  whom  he  treated  with 
all  the  kindness  of  a  father.  The  evening  preceding 
the  dreadful  day  of  slaughter,  the  brother  of  this 
Indian,  who  was  also  in  the  employ  of  an  English- 
man by  the  name  of  Perry,  visited  Chanco,  and  slept 
with  him.  In  the  darkness  and  stillness  of  night, 
he  revealed  to  him  the  whole  matter,  and  told  him 
that  his  king,  Opechancanough,  commanded  him 
(Chanco)  to  kill  his  master  the  next  day  at  noon, 
and  to  furnish  him  with  an  additional  motive,  he 
urged  him  to  follow  his  example,  "  for,"  said  he, 
"  I  intend  to  kill  my  master  Perry."  Chanco,  it 
seems,  did  not  hesitate  as  to  the  course  to  be  pur- 
sued. Instead  of  resolving  to  kill  his  master,  he 
was  determined  to  save  him,  if  possible.  Therefore, 
so  soon  as  his  brother  left  him,  he  arose  and  dis- 
closed to  Mr.  Pace  the  whole  plot.  Pace,  who  re- 
sided at  some  distance  from  Jamestown,  made  it 
known  to  his  neighbors,  who  immediately  placed 
their  houses  in  a  state  of  defence.  He  then  took  a 
boat,  and  rowed  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  Jamestown, 
giving  intelligence  to  all  the  villages  and  hamlets  on 


292  CHANCO    A    DELIVERER. 

his  route.  He  revealed  the  plot  to  the  governor, 
who  immediately  took  measures  to  avert  the  impend- 
ing hlow.  All  the  old  muskets,  swords,  and  other 
weapons  which  could  be  found  were  fixed  for  imme- 
diate use.  Messengers  were  despatched  to  neigh- 
boring plantations,  putting  them  on  their  guard,  and 
in  this  way  the  blow  was  effectually  warded  off 
from  these  places ;  for  wherever  the  Indians  discov- 
ered the  English  to  be  on  their  guard,  they  refrained 
from  making  any  attack.  So  fearful  were  they  of 
gunpowder,  that  a  single  musket  pointed  at  them 
would  make  a  score  of  them  run.  And  in  one  in- 
stance, after  a  band  of  them  had  made  an  attack 
upon  a  place,  the  random  firing  of  a  gun  set  all  to 
running  like  so  many  frightened  sheep.  So  that, 
although  by  this  dreadful  slaughter  many  were  slain, 
a  much  larger  number  escaped.  As  a  scheme  for 
the  entire  destruction  of  the  English,  it  proved  a 
splendid  failure.  Chanco's  disclosure  saved  the 
lives  of  many  hundreds,  prevented  the  destruction 
of  Jamestown,  and  thwarted  the  nefarious  object  of 
his  chief.  Chanco  saved  the  colony.  Let  his  name 
ever  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance.  The  total 
number  of  the  emigrants  who  had  come  to  Virginia 
was  over  four  thousand.  A  year  after  the  massacre, 
two  thousand  five  hundred  men  remained. 

The  immediate  effects  of  this  ruthless  demonstra- 
tion were  disastrous  to  the  colonists.      Public  works 


EFFECTS    OF    THE    MASSACRE.  293 

Were  neglected,  agriculture  in  a  great  measure 
ceased,  villages  were  broken  up,  private  plantations 
abandoned,  the  people  were  terrified,  and  the  spirit 
of  enterprise  palsied.  It  was  a  long  time  before 
the  English  recovered  from  this  sudden  and  violent 
check. 

25* 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

Effects  of  the  Massacre.  —  A  difficult  Question. — Smith's  Pro- 
posal.—  Indian  War.  —  Stringent  Treatment.  —  A  second  Mas- 
sacre. —  Opechancanough  a  Prisoner.  —  He  is  murdered.  — 
Border  War.  —  The  Indians  conquered.  —  Dissolution  of  the 
London  Company.  —  Baptism  enjoined  by  Law.  —  Union  of 
Church  and  State.  —  Quakers  condemned. —  How  to  judge  the 
early  Settlers. — Church-Wardens.  —  Laws  concerning  Mar- 
riage.—  Concerning  Shipmasters.  —  Whipping  Posts  and  Duck- 
ing Stools.  —  The  Sabbath.  —  Fast.  —  The  two  Colonies.  — 
Closing  Remark. 

When  the  painful  intelligence  of  the  horrid  mas- 
sacre reached  England,  it  was  productive  of  wide- 
spread sorrow.  A  large  number  of  those  who  were 
slain  had  relatives  at  home  who  were  deeply  afflicted 
by  their  death.  The  company,  however,  by  whose 
control  the  colony  was  governed,  instead  of  being 
discouraged  by  these  untoward  events,  were  stimu- 
lated to  greater  efforts,  in  order  to  secure  the  coun- 
try for  which  they  had  already  sacrificed  so  much. 
Arrangements  were  immediately  made  to  forward 
the  survivors  supplies.  And  even  the  king,  from 
the  impulse  of  a  somewhat  equivocal  generosity, 
was  prompted  to  furnish  them  with  some  old,  cast- 
off  arms,  which  had  been  rusting  for  an  indefinite 
period  in  the  Tower  of  London. 

A  vexing  question,  which  elicited  much  discussion 


smith's  offer.  2!)5 

in  the  company,  and  on  which  opposite  sides  were 
taken,  was,  What  course  shall  be  pursued  towards 
the  Indians  ?  Some  were  in  favor  of  bringing  them 
into  subjection  to  the  British  crown,  while  others  were 
for  a  war  of  extermination.  At  this  crisis  Captain 
Smith,  who,  from  long  and  close  observation,  was 
well  acquainted  with  Indian  character,  proposed  to 
the  company  that  if  they  would  furnish  him  with  one 
hundred  soldiers,  thirty  sailors,  and  one  bark,  he 
would  agree  to  protect  all  the  settlements  from  the 
James  to  the  Potomac  River.  The  company  were 
too  poor  to  accept  of  his  offer,  but  they  gave  him 
permission  to  effect  a  similar  arrangement  with  the 
colonists  themselves,  provided  he  would  give  the 
company  one  half  the  booty  he  should  acquire.  The 
idea  of  obtaining  any  thing  valuable  from  these  un- 
civilized Indians  appeared  to  Smith  preposterous. 
He  informed  the  company  that,  with  the  exception 
of  some  little  corn,  he  would  not  give  twenty  pounds 
for  all  the  booty  that  could  be  obtained  from  the 
savages  for  twenty  years.  i 

When  the  colonists  recovered  from  the  panic 
which  this  sudden  outburst  of  Indian  fury  had  pro- 
duced, they  made  arrangements  to  act  upon  the 
offensive,  and  to  "  carry  the  war  into  the  enemy's 
camp."  In  July  of  that  same  year,  to  convince  the 
Indians  that  they  were  neither  subdued  nor  afraid 
of  them,  three  hundred  colonists  went  forth  to  forage 


296  WAR    PROSECUTED. 

corn,  and  to  punish  all  the  natives  whom  the^ 
might  meet.  Indian  duplicity,  however,  was  too 
much  for  them,  and  they  allowed  themselves  to  be 
deceived  by  one  pretence  and  another,  until  the  wily 
savages  had  successfully  removed  their  grain  beyond 
reach.  They  managed,  however,  to  burn  their  vil- 
lages and  destroy  other  property,  which  it  was  be- 
lieved would  subject  the  enemy  to  much  suffering 
during  the  approaching  winter. 

At  the  following  meeting  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly, a  law  was  passed  requiring  the  inhabitants  of 
every  corporation  to  attack  their  neighboring  sav- 
ages, as  they  had  done  the  year  preceding.  In  1630, 
it  was  also  enacted,  that  "  the  war  begun  upon  the 
Indians  be  effectually  followed,  and  that  no  peace 
be  concluded  with  them  ;  and  that  all  expeditions 
undertaken  against  them  be  prosecuted  with  dili- 
gence. This  unsettled  state  of  harassing  warfare 
continued  with  undiminished  fury  until  1632,  when 
a  treaty  of  peace  was  concluded  under  the  adminis- 
tration of  Governor  Harvey.  In  the  negotiation  of 
this  treaty,  the  Indians  did  not  receive  the  kindness 
which  had  usually -been  extended  to  them.  It  was 
deemed  expedient  to  deal  more  stringently  with 
them.  Accordingly  their  villages,  their  cleared 
lands,  and  their  pleasant  positions,  which  had  been 
actually  taken  possession  of  by  the  English,  were 
retained  by  them   after  the  war,  and,  consequently, 


ANOTHER    MASSACRE.  29? 

the  original  owners  were  obliged  to  remove  to  new 
localities. 

In  1644,  on  the  18th  of  April,  another  conspiracy 
broke  out  under  the  influence  of  Opechancanough, 
who  was  now  far  advanced  in  years  and  nearly  blind. 
It  failed,  however,  of  its  object.  Three  hundred  of 
the  settlers  were  destroyed,  but  the  English  were 
not  overthrown,  nor  driven  from  the  country.  Ope- 
chancanough was  taken  prisoner  and  carried  to 
Jamestown.  He  here  exhibited  the  same  haughti- 
ness for  which  he  had  always  been  distinguished  ; 
preserving  a  disdainful  silence,  and  taking  no  inter- 
est in  events  which  passed  around  him.  Whilst  here 
he  was  basely  shot  in  the  back  by  a  sentinel,  in  re- 
venge for  certain  injuries  he  had  received  from  him 
on  some  former  occasion.  As  the  old  chief  found  the 
current  of  life  was  fast  passing  away,  the  only  thing 
which  seemed  to  occasion  him  regret  was,  that  in 
his  dying  moments  he  was  exposed  to  the  inquisitive 
gaze  of  his  curious  and  hated  enemies. 

For  nearly  two  years  a  border  warfare  between 
the  whites  and  the  ludians  was  kept  up.  The  lat- 
ter gradually  yielded  to  the  superiority  of  the  former, 
until  finally  so  effective  were  English  weapons  that 
ten  men  were  sufficient  to  protect  any  place  from  the 
attacks  of  the  savages.  In  the  month  of  October, 
1646,  a  treaty  of  peace  was  established  between  the 
Einglish    ond    Opechancanough's    successor,    whose 


298  LONDON    COMPANY    DISSOLVED. 

name  was  Necotowance.  Amongst  the  terms  of  this 
treaty  were,  on  the  part  of  the  Indians,  submission 
to  English  authority  and  the  cession  of  their  lands. 
The  natives  were  now  obliged  to  move  farther  into 
the  interior,  by  which  the  colonists  were  relieved,  in 
a  great  degree,  of  their  unwelcome  presence. 

Previous  to  this,  in  1624,  the  London  Company, 
under  whose  auspices  the  colonies  in  Virginia  had 
been  commenced,  was,  hy  the  authority  of  the  king, 
dissolved.  Pecuniarily  it  had  not  proved  a  profita- 
ble speculation.  Still  it  had  accomplished  a  noble 
object.  It  had  sealed  the  perpetuity  of  the  colonies 
in  Virginia,  and  had  ceded  to  them  a  liberal  form  of 
government.  It  had  started  a  stream,  which,  though 
at  first  it  was  a  mere  rill,  was  destined  to  increase, 
until,  like  the  waters  of  Ezekiel,  it  would  rise  first 
to  the  ankles,  then  to  the  knees,  then  to  the  loins, 
and  afterwards  become  a  mighty  river,  on  the  banks 
of  which  were  to  grow  trees  bearing  life-giving  fruit 
every  month,  and  the  leaves  of  which  were  to  be 
for  the  healing  of  the  nations.  After  this,  the  colo- 
nies in  Virginia,  under  the  geneial  protection  of  the 
British  government,  were  left  to  their  own  resources. 

Though  we  have  now  reached  our  assigned  limits, 
yet  before  drawing  this  volume  to  a  close,  it  will  not 
be  amiss  to  call  attention  to  a  few  of  the  laws  which 
at  different  times  were  passed  for  the  observance  of 
the  colonists. 


CHURCH    AND    STATE.  299 

In  1662  it  was  enacted  that  every  person  who  re- 
fuses to  have  his  child  baptized  by  a  lawful  minister 
shall  be  amerced  two  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco, 
half  of  which  was  to  go  to  the  informer,  and  half 
to  the  parish. 

"  The  whole  liturgy  of  the  church  of  England 
shall  be  thoroughly  read  at  church  or  chapel  every 
Sunday ;  and  the  canons  for  divine  service  and 
sacraments  duly  observed." 

In  these  enactments  was  developed  the  same  union 
of  church  and  state  which  operated  so  unfortunately 
in  the  churches  of  the  Puritans  in  Massachusetts, 
and  which  had  been  the  means  of  obliging  so 
many  to  leave  their  native  land  that  they  might  find 
in  the  wilderness  of  a  new  world  freedom  to  worship 
God.  The  union  of  church  and  state  in  England 
had  resulted  in  such  severe  persecutions  that  those 
who  refused  to  conform  to  the  ritual  of  the  estab- 
lished church  could  enjoy  there  no  quiet.  They 
must  sacrifice  their  own  conscientious  convictions, 
or  else  submit  to  the  arbitrary  penalty  of  the  law. 

Yet  in  the  new  world  this  same  unwise  principle, 
to  call  it  by  no  stronger  name,  was  introduced,  and 
in  Virginia  every  person  who  refused  to  have  his 
child  baptized  was  condemned  to  pay  a  heavy  fine. 
Massachusetts  has  been  severely  condemned  for  her 
strictness  in  executing  a  similar  principle  —  for  at- 
tempting to  enforce  religious  opinions  and  practices 


300  LAWS    AGAINST    QUAKERS. 

by  means  of  the  civil  power.  It  is  evident,  however, 
that  she  was  not  alone.  She  is  not  entitled  to  the 
solitary  glory  or  shame  of  advancing  what  she  deemed 
the  gospel  by  the  severe  penalties  of  the  law.  Even 
her  treatment  of  the  Quakers,  which,  it  is  admitted, 
reflects  no  honor  upon  her  wisdom  or  humanity, 
finds  almost  a  parallel  in  the  following  enactment 
in  Virginia :  — 

"  If  any  Quakers,  or  other  separatists  whatsoever, 
in  this  colony  assemble  themselves  together  to  the 
number  of  five  or  more,  of  the  age  of  sixteen  years 
or  upwards,  under  the  pretence  of  joining  in  a  re- 
ligions worship  not  authorized  in  England  or  this 
Country,  the  parties  so  offending,  being  thereof  law- 
fully convicted  by  verdict,  confessions,  or  notorious 
evidence  of  the  fact,  shall,  for  the  first  offence,  for- 
feit and  pay  two  hundred  pounds  of  tobacco  ; — for 
the  second  offence,  five  hundred  pounds  of  tobacco, 
to  be  levied  by  warrant  from  any  justice  of  the 
peace  upon  the  goods  of  the  party  convicted  ;  but 
if  he  be  unable,  then  upon  the  goods  of  any  other 
of  the  separatists  or  Quakers  then  present; — and 
for  the  third  offence,  the  offender,  being  convicted  as 
aforesaid,  shall  be   banished  the  colony  of  Virginia. 

"Every  master  of  a  ship  or  vessel  that  shall  bring 
in  any  Quakers  to  reside  here,  after  the  first  of  July 
next,  shall  be  fined  five  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco, 
to  be  levied   by  distress    and   sale  of  his  goods,  and 


INJUSTICE.  301 

enjoined  to  carry  him,  her,  or  them,  out  of  the 
country  again. 

"  Any  person  inhabiting  this  country  and  enter- 
taining any  Quaker  in  or  near  his  house  to  preach, 
or  teach,  shall,  for  every  time  of  such  entertainment, 
be  fined  five  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco." 

If  any  attempt  were  to  be  made  to  enact  laws 
like  these  at  the  present  day,  in  any  of  the  states 
of  this  Union,  it  would  be  met  by  the  most  violent 
opposition,  and  prevented ;  but  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  great  idea  of  religious  liberty  was  not 
then  fully  understood.  It  had  not  been  adopted  as 
a  principle  of  government  by  any  nation  upon  earth. 
These  arbitrary  laws  were  in  harmony  with  those  of 
the  governments  of  Europe,  and,  consequently,  they 
were  not  so  far  behind  the  times  as  they  would  be  now. 

In  forming  an  opinion  of  the  early  settlers  of  this 
country,  we  must  give  due  weight  to  the  influences 
and  associations  amidst  which  they  had  been  trained. 
It  would  be  doing  them  great  injustice  to  judge  of 
them  as  though  they  had  been  brought  up  under  free 
institutions,  like  those  which  we  now  enjoy,  but  had 
basely  resisted  their  liberalizing  tendencies.  They 
scarcely  saw  the  dawn  of  that  bright  day  of  re- 
ligious liberty,  in  whose  enlightening  and  vivifying 
beams  we  are  permitted  to  rejoice.  Yet  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  suppress  the  expression  of  surprise  that,  after 
all  their  painful  experience  of  the  effects  of  spiritual 
26 


302  MARRIAGE    AND    OTHER    LAWS. 

tyranny,  they  should  themselves  have  adopted  it  as 
a  prominent  element  of  government,  in  the  treatment 
of  those  whose  religious  convictions  differed  from 
their  own. 

Other  laws  of  a  somewhat  peculiar  character  were 
passed,  amongst  which  were  the  following  :  — 

"  Church-wardens  shall  present  at  the  county 
court  twice  every  year,  in  December  and  April,  such 
misdemeanors  of  swearing,  drunkenness,  fornication, 
&c,  as  by  their  own  knowledge,  or  common  fame, 
have  been  committed  during  their  being  church- 
wardens. 

"  To  steal,  or  unlawfully  to  kill,  any  hog  that  is 
not  his  own,  upon  sufficient  proof,  the  offender  shall 
pay  to  the  owner  one  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco, 
and  as  much  to  the  informer  ;  and  in  case  of  ina- 
bility, shall  serve  two  years,  one  to  the  owner  and 
one  to  the  informer. 

"  No  marriage  shall  be  reputed  valid  in  law 
but  such  as  is  made  by  the  minister,  according  to 
the  laws  of  England.  And  no  minister  shall  marry 
any  person  without  a  license  from  the  governor  or 
his  deputy,  or  thrice  publication  of  banns,  according 
to  the  rubric  in  the  Common  Prayer  Book.  The 
minister  that  doth  marry  contrary  to  this  act  shall 
be  fined  ten  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco. 

"No  master  of  any  ship,  «fcc,  shall  transport  any 
person   mt  of  this  colony  without  a  pass,  under  the 


PILLORIES    AND    DUCKING    STOOLS.  303 

secretary's  hand,  upon  the  penalty  of  paying  all 
such  debts  as  any  such  person  shall  owe  at  his  de- 
parture, and  one  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco  to  the 
secretary. 

"  The  court  in  every  county  shall  cause  to  be  set 
up  near  the  court  house  a  pillory,  a  pair  of  stocks,  a 
whipping  post,  and  a  ducking  stool,  in  such  place  as 
they  shall  think  convenient ;  which  not  being  set 
up  within  six  months  after  the  date  of  this  act,  the 
said  court  shall  be  fined  five  thousand  pounds  of 
tobacco. 

"  In  actions  of  slander,  occasioned  by  a  man's 
wife,  after  judgment  passed  for  damages,  the  woman 
shall  be  punished  by  ducking,  and  if  the  slander  be 
such  as  the  damages  shall  be  adjudged  at  above  five 
hundred  pounds  of  tobacco,  then  the  woman  shall 
have  ducking  for  every  five  hundred  pounds  of  to- 
bacco adjudged  against  her  husband,  if  he  refuse  to 
pay  the  tobacco. 

"  Enacted  that  the  Lord's  day  be  kept  holy, 
and  no  journeys  be  made  on  that  day,  unless 
upon  necessity.  And  all  persons  inhabiting  in 
this  country,  having  no  lawful  excuse,  shall  every 
Sunday  resort  to  the  parish  church  or  chapel,  and 
there  abide  orderly  during  the  common  prayer, 
preaching,  and  divine  service,  upon  the  penalty  of 
being  fined  fifty  pounds  of  tobacco  by  the  county 
court. 


304  STATUTES    REGARDING    ATTORNEYS. 

"  This  act  shall  not  extend  to  Quakers  or  other 
recusants  who  totally  absent  themselves,  but  they 
shall  be  liable  to  the  penalty  imposed  by  the 
statute,   &c. 

"  All  ministers  officiating  in  any  public  cure, 
and  six  of  their  family,  shall  be  exempted  from 
public  taxes. 

"  1668.  The  27th  of  August,  appointed  for  a 
day  of  humiliation,  fasting,  and  prayer,  to  implore 
God's  mercy  ;  if  any  person  be  found  upon  that  day 
gaming,  drinking,  or  working,  (works  of  necessity 
excepted,)  upon  presentment  by  the  church-war- 
dens, and  proof,  he  shall  be  fined  one  hundred 
pounds  of  tobacco,  half  to  the  informer  and  half 
to  the  poor  of  the  parish." 

In  1680,  it  was  enacted  that  no  licensed  attorney 
shall  demand  or  receive,  for  bringing  any  cause  to 
judgment  in  the  General  Court,  more  than  five 
hundred  pounds  of  tobacco  and  cask  ;  and  in  the 
county  court,  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of 
tobacco  and  cask,  which  fees  are  allowed  him 
without  any  pre-agreement. 

"  If  any  attorney  shall  refuse  to  plead  any  cause 
in  the  respective  courts  aforesaid,  for  the  aforesaid 
fees,  he  shall  forfeit  as  much  as  his  fees  should 
have  been." 

The  above  laws  suggest  a  variety  of  points  upon 
which  we  might  indulge  in  some  profitable  reflec- 


INTOLERANCE.  305 

tions.  These,  however,  are  left  for  the  reader 
We  can  only  remark,  as  a  singular  circumstance, 
that  the  laws  which  were  enacted  against  sectaries, 
by  the  colonies  at  Jamestown  and  Plymouth,  re- 
sulted, when  carried  into  execution,  in  mutual  ex- 
communication. The  government  at  Jamestown 
did  not  tolerate  Puritan  dissent,  and  the  Puritan 
government  at  Boston  did  not  tolerate  episcopacy. 


The  reader  who  has  perused  the  preceding  chap- 
ters of  this  work  cannot  fail  of  being  impressed 
with  the  great  trials  and  sacrifices  which  those 
endured  who  first  colonized  this  country,  and  here 
laid  the  foundations  of  a  government  whose  flag  is 
respected  in  all  climes,  and  whose  influence  is  felt 
throughout  the  world.  To  assert  that  they  were 
imperfect,  is  to  say  that  they  were  like  ourselves. 
To  deny  that  amongst  them  were  men  of  expansive 
minds,  noble  hearts,  of  great  courage,  foresight, 
prudence,  and  perseverance,  is  to  do  them  great 
injustice.  As  successive  years  rolled  away,  there 
arose  in  Virginia  a  class  of  men  who,  by  their 
natural  endowments  and  their  acquired  attainments, 
were  well  fitted  to  adorn  any  station  in  life,  and 
whose  genius,  learning,  courage,  and  patriotism 
rendered  essential  assistance  in  the  great  conflict 
26* 


396  VIRGINIANS. 

of  the  revolution,  and  in  the  formation  of  our 
republican  institutions,  under  the  operation  of  which 
we  have  attained  to  our  present  degree  of  gran 
deur  and  power,  as  one  of  the  ieading  nations 
upon  earth.  May  their  noble  spirit  ever  stimulate 
their  descendants  to  an  imitation  of  their  glorious 
example 


New  publications. 


The  Tempter  Behind.  By  the  Author  of  "  Israel  Mort. 
Overman."  Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.25.  Most 
readers  of  fiction  will  remember  "Israel  Mort,  Overman,"  a 
book  which  created  several  years  ago  a  profound  sensation 
both  in  this  country  and  in  England.  It  was  a  work  of  in- 
tense strength  and  showed  such  promise  on  the  part  of  the 
anonymous  author  that  a  succeeding  work  from  the  same 
hand  has  ever  since  been  anxiously  looked  for,  in  the  belief 
that,  should  it  be  written,  it  would  make  a  yet  more  decided 
impression.  "  The  Tempter  Behind,"  now  just  brought  out 
in  this  country,  shows  that  the  estimate  of  the  public  as  to 
the  ability  of  the  author  was  not  too  high.  It  is  in  every 
way  a  higher  and  stronger  work,  and  one  that  cannot  but 
have  a  marked  effect  wherever  it  is  read.  It  is  not  merely  an 
intensely  interesting  story;  something  more  earnest  than 
the  mere  excitement  of  incident  underlies  the  book.  It  is 
the  record  of  the  struggles  of  a  young  and  ambitious  student 
against  the  demon  of  drink.  He  is  an  orphan  —  the  ward  of 
a  rich  uncle  who  proposes  to  settle  his  entire  property  upon 
him  in  case  he  conforms  to  his  wishes.  It  is  the  desire  of 
the  uncle  that  he  shall  become  a  clergyman,  a  profession  for 
which  the  young  man  has  a  strong  and  natural  preference. 

Unknown  to  his  uncle,  he  has  formed  the  habit  of  social 
drinking  at  college  from  which  he  cannot  extricate  himself. 
The  terrible  thirst  for  intoxicants  paralyses  his  will,  and 
renders  him  a  slave  to  the  cup.  Every  effort  he  makes  is 
unsuccessful.  He  loses  rank  at  college,  and  is  afterward 
dismissed  from  his  post  as  private  secretary  to  an  official  of 
the  government,  on  account  of  the  neglect  of  his  studies  and 
duties,  but  without  exposure.  His  uncle  knows  his  failures, 
but  not  their  cause,  and  demands  that  he  either  enter  the 
ministerial  profession  for  which  he  has  prepared  himself,  or 
leave  the  shelter  of  his  roof.  The  young  man,  who  has  too 
much  principle  to  assume  a  position  which  he  fears  he  may 
disgrace,  does  not  confide  in  his  uncle,  and  secretly  departs 
from  the  house,  leaving  behind  him  a  letter  of  farewell,  de- 
termined to  make  one  more  trial  by  himself,  and  among 
strangers,  to  break  the  chains  which  bind  him  so  closely. 
The  story  of  his  experiences,  trials  and  temptations  are  viv- 
idly and  almost  painfully  told,  with  their  results.  The  book 
needs  no  commendation.  Through  the  enterprise  of  the 
publishers,  it  makes  its  first  appearance  in  America,  and 
will  be  brought  out  in  Londoa  after  Hg  issue  here. 


NEW    PUBLICATIONS. 


The  Lite  axd  Explorations  of  David  Livixgstoxe, 
LL.  D.  By  John  S.  Roberts.  Including  Extracts  from  Dr. 
Livingstone's  Last  Journal.  By  Ilev.  E.  A.  Manning,  who 
Portrait  on  stool  and  illustrations.  Boston:  D.  Lothrop  & 
Co.  Price  $1.50.  So  long  ;is  there  exists  in  the  Inuuail 
mind  an  admiration  for  heroism  in  a  good  cause,  for  cour- 
age under  extraordinary  difficulties,  for  inflexible  persever- 
ance in  the  face  of  obstacles  seemingly  insurmountable,  and 
for  faith  remaining  unshaken  amidst  disheartening  sur- 
roundings, so  long  will  the  memory  of  David  Livingstone 
be  held  in  respect  and  reverence.  The  simple  and  un- 
adorned story  Of  the  wanderings  and  sufferings  of  the  mis- 
sionary explorer  in  the  wilds  of  Africa  possesses  a  stronger 
fascination  than  the  most  skilfully-devised  romance.  More 
than  thirty  of  the  most  active  years  of  the  life  of  Living- 
stone were  spent  in  Africa.  Going  to  that  country  at  th« 
early  age  of  twenty-seven  to  engage  in  missionary  work,  for 
nine  years  he  mingled  with  the  native  tribes,  acquiring 
their  language,  teaching,  and  making  such  explorations  as 
were  incidental  to  his  labors.  At  the  end  of  that  time, 
fired  with  the  desire  of  opening1  up  the  mysteries  of  that 
almost  unknown  country,  he  set  out  upon  a  journey  of 
exploration,  the  particular  aim  being  the  discovery  of  Lake 
Ngami.  lie  succeeded,  and  collected,  besides,  a  vast 
amount  of  scientific  and  geographical  information  which 
was  entirely  new.  In  1852,  having  sent  bis  family  to  Eng- 
land, lie  started  on  another  journey  of  exploration,  being 
absent  four  years,  and  traversing  in  that  time  over  eleven 
thousand  miles.  On  his  return  be  published  bis  first  book, 
in  which  be  detailed  his  discoveries.  Ho  paid  a  short  visit 
to  England,  whore  be  was  received  with  open  arms  by 
scholars  and  scientific  men,  and  every  honor  was  accorded 
him.  In  1858  he  began  his  third  voyage  of  exploration,  ac- 
companied by  his  wife,  who  died  on  the  way.  He  returned 
in  18US,  but  immediately  sot  cut  with  a  more  extended  plan 
in  view.  Foronore  than  four  years  nothing  was  beard  from 
him  except  in  the  way  of  rumors.  Then  letters  came,  long 
delayed,  detailing  bis  plans,  followed  by  a  silence  of  two 
years.  In  1871  lie  was  found  at.  Ujiji,  alive  and  well,  by 
TIenry  M.  Stanley,  who  had  been  sent  in  search  of  him  by 
the  New  York  Herald.  He  joined  Stanley,  who  bad  been 
given  a  carte  blanche  for  explorations,  and  was  with  hi:u 
until  be  died,  May  1,  ISTo,  at  Ilala.  in  Central  Africa.  The 
present  volume  is  an  intensely  interesting  account  of  these 
several  jouri  -ys-eompiled  from  the  most  authentic  sources, 
Ibe  chief  being  Livingstone's  own  descriptions  and  journal*. 


A  TRIUMPH  FOR  GOOD  LITERATURE. 
'{From  the  N.  Y.  Weekly  Tribune,  Nov.  14,  1883.) 

Among  publishers  who  have  carried  into  their  work 
serious  convictions  as  to  their  duty  to  the  public  in  the 
matter  of  supplying  good  literature,  and  who  have  reso- 
lutely resisted  all  temptations  in  the  more  lucrative  direc- 
tion of  that  which  is  simply  sensational,  an  honorable 
place  may  be  claimed  for  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.,  who  have 
accomplished  in  the  United  States  a  work  second  to  that 
of  no  publishing  house. 

Little  change  can  be  made  in  the  literary  tastes  of  a 
generation  which  is  passing  off  the  stage.  If  there  are 
evidences  of  dangerous  tendencies  in  popular  thought,  or 
if  an  infection  of  the  public  mind  is  being  spread  by  un- 
wholesome reading,  the  antidote  for  all  this,  so  far  as  the 
future  is  concerned,  lies  in  the  protection  of  the  young  by 
providing  them  with  a  literature  which  is  at  once  attrac- 
tive and  wholesome. 

This  work  was  undertaken  by  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  years 
as;o.  With  the  firm  conviction  that  ultimate  success 
would  attend  their  efforts,  they  have  employed  the  pens 
of  scores  of  those  who  have  shared  their  convictions,  in- 
cluding some  of  the  best  known  authors  at  home  and 
abroad,  and  have  sent  out  an  ever  increasing  stream  of 
pure,  attractive  and  instructive  literature,  which  has 
reached  every  part  of  the  land,  and  made  their  name, 
famous  everywhere. 

Those  who  began,  as  children,  to  read  books  of  the 
character  supplied  by  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.,  have  a  taste  for 
books  equally  elevating  and  instructing  in  maturer  years. 
For  the  thousands  of  such,  and  the  thousands  of  others 
who  may  be  attracted  by  good  literature,  the  later  pub- 
lications of  this  house,  as  evidenced  by  its  large  and 
rapidly  increasing  list  of  miscellaneous  standard  books, 
make  generous  provision. 

In  a  general  way,  the  public  are  familiar  with  the  aims 
of  this  house,  and  have  come  to  regard  its  imprint  upon  a 
book  as  a  guarantee  of  excellence  in  all  essential  qualities. 


EECEN  T  AND  CHOICE  EOOKS  EOE  S.  S.  LIBEAEIES. 


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Half  Year  at  Bronckton, 

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New  Year's  Tangles,    . 
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Soldier  and  Servant,  by  Ella  M. 

Keenie's  To-morrow,  Jennie  M 

Hill  Rest,  by  Susan  M.  Moulton 

Echoes  from  Hospital  and  White  House.     Experiences  of  Mrs.  Re 

becca  R.  Pomroy  during  the  War,  by  Anna  L.  Boyden, 
Not  of  Man  but  of  God,  by  Jacob  M.  Manning, 
Cambridge  Sermons,  by  Alexander  McKenzie,  . 
Self-Giving.     A  Story  of  Christian  Missions,  by  W.  F.  Bainbridge 
Right  to  the  Point.      From  the  Writings  of  Theodore  L.  Cuyler, 
Living  Truths.     From  Charles  Kingsley,  .... 

For  Mack's  Sake,  by  S.  J.  Burke 

Little  Mother  and  her  Christinas,  by  Phcebe  McKeen, 

My  Girls,  by  Lida  M.  Churchill, 

Grandmother  Normandy,  by  the  author  of  "Andy  Luttrell,' 
The  Snow  Family,  by  M.  B.  Lyman,  .... 

The  Baptism  of  Fire,  by  Charles  Edward  Smith, 
Around  the  Ranch,  by  Belle  Keliogg  Towne,     . 
Through  Struggle  to  Victory,  by  A.  B.  Meservy, 

Three  of  Us,  by  Heckla 

Breakfast  for  Two,  by  Joanna  Matthews,  .... 
Onward  to  the  Heights  of  Life,  ..... 

Torn  and  Mended,  by  W.  M.    F.  Round,  . 

That  Boy  of  Newkirks,  by  L.   Bates, 

The  Class  of  '70,  by  H.  V.  Morrison,         .... 

Uncle  Mark's  Amaranths,  by  Annie  G.  Hale,    . 

Six  Months  at  Mrs.  Prior's,  by  Emily  Adams,  . 

A  Fortunate  Failure,  by  C.  B.  LeRow,       .... 

Carrie  Ellsworth,  by  M.  D.  Johnson,        .... 

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New  Publications. 


Out  and  About.  By  Kate  Tannatt  Woods.  Illustrated. 
Boston  :  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.50.  Every  boy  and 
girl  in  the  country  used  to  delight  in  the  Bodley  books, 
and  here  is  a  volume  which  is  in  all  respects  their  worthy 
successor.  It  is  based  upon  something  like  the  same  plan, 
in  that  it  takes  a  whole  family,  instead  of  a  single  member 
of  it,  about  the  country  sight-seeing.  We  might  rather  say 
two  whole  families,  for  that  is  just  what  the  author  does. 
The  Hudsonsand  the  Marstons  are  neighbors  in  the  vicinity 
of  Boston,  and  the  children  are  great  friends.  They  all  go 
to  Cape  Cod  and  Nantucket  to  spend  the  summer,  and  from 
there  the  Hudsons  are  called  away  to  San  Francisco  by  Col. 
Hudson,  who  is  an  army  officer,  and  is  stationed  there. 
The  book  describes  their  stay  on  the  Cape,  and  their  long 
overland  journey  to  the  Pacific  coast.  Its  interest  is  not 
wholly  confined  to  the  members  of  the  party,  for  the  author 
takes  special  pains  to  give  correct  and  vivid  pictures  of  the 
various  places  visited.  The  illustrations  are  some  of  the 
best  ever  put  into  a  children's  book,  and  are  many  from 
drawings  and  photographs  made  on  the  spot. 

Chronicles  of  the  Stimpcett  Family.  By  Abby 
Morton  Diaz.  Boston  :  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.25. 
Some  one  once  said,  "  Give  a  Frenchman  an  onion  and  a 
beef-bone,  and  he  will  make  a  dozen  different  kinds  of 
delicious  soup."  Give  Mrs.  Diaz  two  or  three  simple  inci- 
dents, and  she  will  manufacture  half  a  dozen  stories  so 
sprightly  and  jolly,  and  so  full  of  every  day  human  nature 
withal,  that  to  the  young  they  are  a  source  of  perennial 
delight,  while  the  old  people  can  get  as  much  enjoyment  out 
of  them  as  from  a  volume  of  Scott  or  Dickens.  This  new 
book,  which  has  never  seen  the  light  in  any  newspaper  or 
magazine,  will  be  ready  in  ample  time  for  the  holidays,  and 
the  father  who  wants  to  make  his  little  ones  perfectly  happy 
at  that  time  will  take  good  care  to  secure  a  copy.  The 
Stimpcetts  have  a  "  Family  Story  Teller,"  and  the  wonder- 
ful, queer,  strange  and  funny  stories  which  this  individual 
has  treasured  up  in  his  memory,  and  retails  to  the  children 
on  various  occasions,  will  be  laughed  over,  and  talked  over, 
and  thought  over,  tfhtil  the  author  is  ready  with  another 
volume. 


NEW  PUBLICATIONS. 


Next  Things.  By  Pansy.  A  Story  for  Little  Folks. 
Fully  illustrated.  Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.00. 
This  is  a  bright  little  story  with  two  heroes,  and  the  lesson 
it  tries  to  teach  young  readers  is  to  do  the  work  that 
lies  nearest  to  them  first;  in  other  words,  "What  to  do 
next.  No  one  can  do  the  second  thing;  he  can  do  the  first." 
Bound  up  in  the  same  cover  is  a  capital  story  called 
"  Dome's  Day,"  in  which  are  related  the  adventures  of  a 
little  girl  who  went  to  sleep  in  the  cars  and  got  carried  out 
of  her  way.  The  history  of  what  she  did,  and  how  she  got 
home,  will  interest  the  children. 

Mrs.  Harry  Harper's  Awakening.  A  Missionary 
story  by  Pansy.  Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.00. 
This  is  one  of  Pansy's  "  lesson  books,"  in  which,  under  the 
guise  of  a  story,  she  drives  home  a  truth  so  thoroughly  that 
the  dullest  and  most  unimpressible  reader  cannot  help  seeing 
and  feeling  it.  Mrs.  Harry  Harper  was  a  young  wife  in  a 
strange  city,  without  acquaintances,  and  with  nothing  to  do 
during  the  long  hours  of  the  day  while  her  husband  was  ab- 
sent at  his  business.  One  day  in  walking  aimlessly  along 
the  street  she  follows  a  crowd  of  ladies  into  what  she  sup- 
poses is  a  bazar,  but  what  she  soon  discovers  to  be  a  mis- 
sionary meeting.  Her  attention  is  excited  by  what  she  sees 
and  hears  ;  her  sympathies  and  religious  feelings  are 
awakened,  and  she  enters  into  practical  Christian  work  with 
all  her  heart  and  soul.  The  book  is  one  of  serious  purpose 
and  falling  into  the  hands  of  people  like  Mrs.  Harper  will  be 
a  means  of  undoubted  good. 

Pizarro;  or,  The  Discovery  and  Conquest  of  Peru.  Il- 
lustrated. Edited  by  Fred  H.  Allen.  Boston:  D.  Lothrop 
&  Co.  Price  $1.00.  This  is  the  third  volume  in  Mr.  Allen's 
valuable  little  series,  and  is  a  concise  and  interesting  history 
of  a  country  which  at  this  very  moment  is  undergoing  a 
conquest  as  bloody  and  exhaustive  as  that  which  occurred 
350  years  ago,  when  the  Spanish  ancestors  of  the  present 
race  of  Peruvians  carried  fire  and  slaughter  into  the  homes 
of  the  native  inhabitants.  The  story  is  told  with  spirit, 
and  with  enough  detail  to  enable  the  reader  to  get  a  clear 
and  connected  idea  of  the  different  campaigns  of  Pizarro  in 
South  America  from  the  time  of  his  landing  on  its  shores  in 
1509  until  his  assassi nation  by  his  own  countrymen  in  hif 


kouse  in  Lima  in  1541. 


New  publications. 

Young  Folks'  History  of  America.  Edited  by  Heze- 
Eiali  Butterworth.  Boston  :  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.50. 
In  form  and  general  appearance  this  is  an  exceedingly  attract- 
ive volume.  The  paper  is  good,  the  type  clear,  and  the  illus- 
trations with  which  its  pages  are  crowded  are  well  chosen 
and  finely  engraved.  Mr.  Butterworth  has  selected  for  the 
basis  of  his  work  McKenzie's  "History  of  the  United 
States,"  which  was  published  in  England  several  years  ago. 
The  text  has  been  thoroughly  revised,  changes  made  where 
necessary,  fresh  matter  introduced  and  new  chapters  added, 
the  remodelled  work  being  admirably  adapted  for  use  in 
schools  or  for  home  reading.  It  sketches  succinctly  and  yet 
clearly  the  gradual  development  of  the  country  from  the 
time  of  the  landing  of  Columbus  down  to  the  present; 
brings  into  relief  the  principal  occurrences  and  incidents  in 
our  national  history  ;  explains  the  policy  of  the  republic, 
and  gives  brief  biographies  of  the  statesmen  and  soldiers 
who  have  rendered  especial  services  to  the  country.  The 
narrative  is  brought  down  to  the  present  moment,  and  in- 
cludes an  account  of  the  .  inauguration  of  Garfield,  with 
sketches  of  the  members  of  bis  cabinet.  An  appendix  con- 
tains a  list  of  the  Presidents  and  Vice  Presidents  of  the 
United  States,  with  the  dates  of  their  qualifications;  statis- 
tics showing  the  population  and  area  of  the  states  and  terri- 
tories, a  list  of  the  cities  and  towns  of  the  United  States  hav- 
ing a  population  of  ten  thousand  and  upwards,  according  to 
the  census  of  1880,  and  a  chronological  table  of  events. 
There  is,  besides,  an  exhaustive  index.  The  work  should 
find  a  place  in  every  home  library. 

Warlock  o'  Glenwarlock.  By  George  MacDonald. 
Illustrated.  Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.75.  This 
charming  story,  by  one  of  the  foremost  English  writers  of 
the  time,  which  has  appeared  in  the  form  of  monthly  sup- 
plements to  Wide  Awake,  will  be  brought  out  early  this 
fall  in  complete  book  form  uniform  in  style  with  A  Sea 
Board  Parish,  and  Annals  of  a  Quiet  Neighborhood.  It  is 
a  picture  of  Scotch  life  and  character,  such  as  none  but?  Mr. 
MacDonald  can  paint;  full  of  life  and  movement,  enlivened 
with  bursts  of  humor,  shaded  by  touches  of  pathos,  and 
showing  keen  powers  of  analysis  in  working  out  the  charac- 
ters of  the  principal  actors  in  the  story.  The  book  was  set 
from  the  author's  own  manuscript,  and  appears  here  simul- 
taneously with  the  English  edition. 


nfw  Publications. 

-—~  ■  ■■      -  - .- 1        m 

L)i:,:;i;ii  and  Saint  :     A  story  of  the  Woman's  Crusade  : 
by  A.A.Hopkins,    author  of  "John  Brenim:   His   Prison 
Bars;,"  etc.     Boston  :  D,  Lothrop  &  Co.     Price  $1.25.     This 
is  a  notable  addition  to  temperance  literature  and  combines, 
in    style     and     treatment,    some   of   the   strongest  charac- 
teristics    of     that     unique     temperance      narrative,     with 
salient     features    peculiar  to     itself.      It    is    both    a    live, 
progressive,     radical    reform     story,     quite     abreast    with 
the      temperance     thought     of    to-day,    and     an     intense, 
absorbing    record     of     heart     experiences,    reading    as    if 
they  were  all  real.     In   its  delineation  of  scenes  and   inci- 
dents in  the  Woman's  Crusade,  it  traverses  a  field  rich  in 
suggestion,  in  feeling  and  in  fact,  and  hitherto  ignored  by 
the  novelist.     The  Crusade  marked  an  epoch  in  temperance 
activities,  and  Sinner  and  Saint  vividly  reflects  the  wonder- 
ful spirit  of  that  movement,  while  as  vividly  portraying  the 
strange  methods  and  the  remarkable  faith  that  gave  it  suc- 
cess.    This  is  a  broader,  more  comprehensive  story  than  its 
predecessor  from  the  same  pen,  more  abundant  in  charac- 
ters, and  stronger  in  the  love  elements  which  these  contrib- 
ute.     The   religious    tone   of   it   also,    is    more    decidedly 
pronounced.     Buylan  (N"ew  York?),  Worrom,  Ohio,  and  a 
Rocky   mountain  mining   camp,    form    the   locali.     Of   all 
these  Mr.  Hopkins  writes  like  one  familiar  with  his  ground, 
as  he  is  confessedly  familiar  with  the  different  phases  of 
temperance  endeavor  and  need.     "  To  the  women  who  work 
and   pray,   for  love's  dear    sake   and    home's,   that   fallen 
manhood  may  come   to    its    own    again,"  he   dedicates   his 
work.    It   should  win  the   early   perusal   of  all   that  nobla 
army,   and  of  a  wide  circle   besides  —  of  all,  indeed,   who 
sympathize   with    human   weakness  and   admire   womanly 
strength. 

Kings,  Queens  and  Barbarian's;  or.  Talks  about 
Seven  Historic  Ages.  By  Arthur  Oilman,  M.A.  New  Edi- 
tion, enlarged.  III.  Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.00. 
This  handsome  little  volume,  prepared  for  young  readers,  is 
a  pleasant  condensation  of  the  main  facts  in  the  world's  his- 
tory from  the  time  of  the  Golden  Age  of  Greece,  which 
dates  back  to  five  hundred  years  before  Christ,  down  to  the 
Golden  Age  of  England,  or  the  time  of  the  Puritans.  The 
information  is  conveyed  in  the  form  of  a  family  dialogue,  in 
which  the  father  entertains  his  children  evening  after  eve- 
ning, in  a  series  of  talks,  taking  up  in  a  natural  way  one 
subject  after  another,  giving  just  enough  of  each  to  create 
an  appetite  among  the  young  listeners  to  know  more  about 
them  and  to  bring  the  various  volumes  of  history  in  the  fam- 
ily library  into  active  demand.  Young  readers  will  find  it 
a  delightful  volume. 


NEW  PUBLICATIONS. 


Chips  from  the  White  House. — 12  ino.  486  pp.  $1.50 
What  the  press  says  of  it: 

In  tills  handsome  volume  of  five  hundred  pages  have  been 
Drought  together  some  of  the  most  important  utterances  of 
our  twenty  presidents,  carefully  selected  from  speeches  and 
Addresses,  public  documents  and  private  correspondence, 
;.  id  touching  upon  a  large  variety  of  subjects. —  Golden, 
Rule,  Boston. 

Most  of  the  extracts  are  dated  and  accompanied  by  brief 
explanations  of  the  circumstances  under  which  they  were 
written,  and  the  volume,  therefore,  if  judiciously  read,  will 
give  a  clearer  idea  of  the  character  of  the  men  than  can  be 
gathered  elsewhere  by  reading  a  small  library  through. — 
JVew  York  Graphic. 

The  selections  are  made  with  judgment  and  taste,  and 
represent  not  only  the  political  status  of  the  distinguished 
writers,  but  also  their  social  and  domestic  characteristics. 
The  book  is  interesting  in  itself,  and  specially  valuable  as 
a  convenient  book  of  reference  for  students  of  American 
history.  Its  mechanical  presentation  is  all  that  can  be 
asked. —  Providence  Journal. 

Each  chapter  is  prefaced  by  a  brief  synoposis  of  the  life 
and  services  of  its  subject,  and  most  of  the  extracts  are  dated, 
with  brief  explanations  of  the  circumstances  under  which 
they  were  written.  The  work,  in  fact,  is  a  handbook.  It 
is  convenient  for  reference  of  American  history.  It  is 
printed  in  clear,  large  type,  is  tastefully  and  strongly  bound, 
and  is  supplemented  by  a  very  full  index. —  Woman's  Jour- 
nal, Boston. 

The  book  is  thoroughly  good ;  none  better  could  be 
placed  in  the  hands  of  young  persons.  By  the  light  of 
these  they  can  see  the  reflection  of  the  character  of  the 
grand  men  who  have  been  called  to  rule  over  the  Nation 
during  its  existence.  No  other  nation  ever  had  such  a 
succsssion  of  rulers,  where  so  few  have  proved  failures.—* 
Inter  Oceaw,  Chicago. 


NEW  PUBLICATIONS. 

» — ^ — ~ m 

Originality.  By  Elias  Nason.  Boston:  D.  Lothrop  & 
Co.  Price  $.50.  Mr.  Nason  has  here  made  a  reply  to 
Wendell  Phillips'  "Lost  Arts,"  which  is  well  worth  read- 
ing for  its  point  and  snggestiveness.  He  endeavors  to  show 
the  meaning  of  the  word,  and  what  important  results  have 
come  from  the  originating  powers  of  a  few  bright  men  since 
the  beginning  of  civilization.  He  takes  up,  one  by  one,  the 
points  made  by  Mr.  Phillips  in  his  famous  lecture,  and  shows 
on  what  slighl  grounds  they  rest,  and  of  how  little  weight 
they  really  are  when  examined  and  analyzed.  Mr.  Nason 
does  not  believe  that  any  of  the  useful  arts  have  been  lost. 
The  ancients  had  few  to  lose.  They  made  glass,  but  they 
did  not  know  how  to  use  it.  They  could  embalm  dead 
bodies;  but  of  what  use  were  embalmed  dead  bodies  ?  They 
had  some  knowledge  of  mathematics,  but  a  school-boy's 
arithmetic  to-day  contains  more  mathematical  knowledge 
than  has  come  out  of  all  the  exhumed  cities  of  the  Orient. 
There  were  more  marvels  of  art  displayed  at  the  Centennial 
exhibition  than  in  the  ancient  world  for  twenty  centuries. 
Mr.  Nason  insists  that  the  ajsthetical  productions  of  the 
ancients  have  been  vastly  over-estimated.  The  periods  of 
Demosthenes,"  lie  says,  "yield  in  Titanic  force  to  the 
double-compact  sentences  of  Daniel  Webster.  Mr.  Phillips 
himself  has  sometimes  spoken  more  eloquently  than  Cicero. 
Homer  never  rises  to  the  sublimity  of  John  Milton."  The 
world  grows  wiser  and  better.  Age  by  age,  it  has  been  de- 
veloping its  resources  and  adding  pearl  to  pearl  to  the  diadem 
of  its  wisdom;  sometimes  slower,  sometimes  quicker,  but 
always  upward  and  onward.  Mr.  Nason  writes  in  a  fresh 
and  sparkling  style,  and  the  thousands  who  have  listened 
with  rapt  attention  to  Mr.  Phillips'  eloquent  presentation  of 
his  side  of  the  question  will  find  equal  pleasure  and  greater 
profit  in  reading  this  charming  essay,  which  is  equally  elo- 
quent and  unquestionably  sounder  in  its  conclusions. 

The  Life  and  Writings  of  Charles  Dickens.  By 
Phebe  A.  Hanaford.  Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price 
$1.50.  A  life  of  Dickens,  written  by  a  popular  author 
and  upon  a  new  plan,  will  be  sure  to  meet  with  favor  at  the 
hands  of  the  public.  Mrs.  Hanaford  has  not  attempted  to 
write  a  critical  and  original  analysis  of  the  great  author 
from  her  own  point  of  view,  but,  while  sketching  the  main 
incidents  of  his  life,  has  quoted  liberally  from  his  works  to 
illustrate  his  genius,  and  from  the  correspondence  and 
writings  of  his  personal  friends  to  show  the  estimation  in 
which  he  was  held  by  them  as  a  man,  a  philanthropist  and 
a  Christian.  The  volume  commends  itself  to  every  lover  of 
Dickens,  and  deserves  to  be  widely  known  and  read. 


New  publications. 


Grandmother  Normandy.    By  the  Author  of  "  Silent 
Tom."     V.I.  F.  series.     Boston:  D.  Lotlirop  &  Co.     Price 
$1.25.     The  series  of  which  this  volume  is  the  third  issue, 
has  already  achieved  a  remarkable  popularity,  and   Grand- 
mother Normandy  will  find  a  host  of  readers  the  moment  it 
takes  its  place  upon  the  counters  of  the  booksellers.     It  deals 
more  directly  with  some  of  the  vital  points  of  Christianity, 
than  either  of  its  predecessors,  and  shows  how  the  bitter  things 
in  every  one's  experience  may  be  turned  to  good  and  lasting 
account.     It  teaches  that  life  lived  selfishly  is  a  curse;  but 
that  giving  sympathy,  love,  help,  and  hope  to  others  makes 
one  grow  grandly  strong,  and  fits  one  for  great  things  in  the 
hereafter.     It  shows  that  to  one  who  works  earnestly  and 
conscientiously  life  is  a  vast,  undiscovered  country,  full   of 
marvels,  attainments,  golden  opportunities   and  industries, 
rich  with   mines  of  unexplored   thought,  and   bright  with 
usefulness.      The   story   itself   is  fascinatingly  told.      The 
character  of  Grandmother  Normandy,  stern,  relentless,  and 
unforgiving,  almost  to  the  last,  is  strongly  drawn,  and  tho 
author  has  shown  her  skill  in  the  means  she  has  devised  for 
softening  the  old  lady's  heart  and  melting  the  pride  whic^ 
has   wrought  so  much  unhappiness   in  her  family.     The 
book  is  written  in  an  entertaining  style,  and  without  any 
flagging  of  interest  from  the  first  chapter  to  the  last. 

Young  Folks'  Speaker.  A  Collection  of  Prose  and 
Poetry  for  Declamations,  Kecitations,  and  Elocutionary 
Exercises.  Selected  and  arranged  by  Carrie  Adelaide  Cooke. 
Illustrated.  Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.00.  Here 
is  the  book  for  which  school  children  have  long  been  wait- 
ing; a  book  not  thrown  together  of  any  and  all  kinds  of 
material,  simply  to  meet  the  popular  demand,  but  a  care- 
fully compiled  collection  of  pieces  suitable  for  reading  and 
speaking,  most  of  which  have  never  before  been  included 
in  any  work  of  the  kind.  The  oft  expressed  wishes  of  the 
children  for  something  new  —  "  Something  that  hasn't  been 
read  to  pieces"  —  is  here  fully  met.  Some  of  the  old 
favorites,  without  which  no  book  of  declamation  would  be 
complete,  are  given;  selections  from  Longfellow,  Whittier, 
and  Holmes;  but  as  has  been  already  said,  the  bulk  of 
the  volume  is  made  up  of  fresh  and  unhackneyed  pieces, 
chosen  for  their  poetic  merit,  pure  sentiment,  and  the 
opportunity  they  offer  for  elocutionary  display.  No 
collection  of  the  kind  that  has  yet  been  published  presents 
feo  many  excellences,  or  is  better  adapted  to  the  wants  of 
the  class  for  which  it  has  been  especiall}"  prepared.  It 
deserves  to  become  a  standard  in  the  schools  of  the  country. 
The  illustrations  are  many  and  attractive. 


NEW  PUBLICATIONS. 


Doctor  Dick  :  A  seque]  to  "  Six  Little  Rebels.  By- 
Kate  Tannatt  Woods.  Boston  :  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price, 
$1.50.  Ever  since  the  publication  of  that  charming  story, 
Six  Little  Rebels,  Lliere  has  been  a  constant  demand  from  all 
quarters  for  a  continuation  of  the  adventures  of  ihe  bright 
young  Southerners  and  their  Northern  friends.  The  hand- 
some, well-illusiraled  volume  before  us  is  the  result.  rJ  lie 
story  begins  with  Dick  and  Reginald  at  Harvard,  with  Miss 
Lucinda  as  their  housekeeper,  and  a  number  of  old  friends 
as  fellow-boarders.  Dolly  and  Cora  are  not  forgotten,  and 
hold  conspicuous  places  in  the  narrative,  which  is  enlivened 
by  bright  dialogue  and  genuine  fun.  What  they  all  do  in 
their  respective  places  —  the  hoys  at  college,  Cora  at  Vassal-, 
Dolly  with  her  father,  Mrs.  Miller  at  Washington,  and  the 
others  at  their  posts  of  duty  or  necessity,  is  entertainingly 
described.  The  story  of  the  fall  of  Richmond  and  the  assas- 
sination of  Lincoln  are  vividly  told.  One  of  the  most 
interesting  chapters  of  the  book  is  that  which  describes  the 
visit,  after  the  fall  of  the  Confederacy,  of  Reginald's  father, 
General  Greshain,  to  Cambridge,  and  the  rejoicings  which 
followed.  The  whole  book  is  full  of  life  and  incident,  and 
will  be  thoroughly  enjoyed  by  young  readers. 

Young  Folks'  History  or  Russia.  By  Nathan  Haskell 
Dole,  editor  and  translator  of  "  Rambaud's  Popular  History 
of  Russia."  Fully  illustrated.  12mo,  cloth,  $1.50;  half 
Russia,  $2.00.  Mr.  Dole  has  for  several  years  made  a  care- 
ful and  special  study  of  Russian  history,  and  the  volume 
before  us  bears  testimony  to  the  critical  thoroughness  of 
the  knowledge  thus  gained.  Russia  has  no  certain  history 
before  the  ninth  century,  although  there  is  no  lack  of 
legend  and  tradition.  Some  attention  is  given  to  these,  but 
the  real  record  of  events  begins  just  after  the  time  Vladimir 
became  Prince  of  Kief,  about  the  beginning  of  the  tenth 
century.  The  contents  are  divided  into  two  books,  the  first 
being  sub-divided  into  "Heroic  Russia,"  "  Russia  of  the 
Princes,"  "The  Enslavement  of  Russia,"  and  "The  Russia 
of  Moscow."  The  second  book  deals  with  Russia  after  its 
establishment  as  an  empire,  and  its  sub-divisions  have  for 
their  special  subjects,  "Ivan  the  Tyrant,"  "The  Time  of 
the  Troubles,"  "The  House  of  the  Romanoffs,"  and 
"Modern  Russia."  It  would  have  been  in  place  had  Mr. 
Dole  given  the  reader  a  chapter  on  modern  Russian  politics, 
a  thing  which  could  easily  have  been  done,  and  which  is 
absolutely  necessary  to  enable  the  reader  to  understand 
current  events  and  prospective  movements  in  the  empire. 
The  volume  is  profusely  illustrated,  and  contains  two  double- 
page  colored  maps. 


New  publications. 


The  Tent  ix  the  Notch.  By  Edward  A.  Rand.  A 
Sequel  to  "Bark  Cabin  on  Kearsarge."  111.  Boston:  D. 
Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1,00.  The  boys  and  girls  who  last 
year  read  Mr.  Rand's  charming  book,  Bark  Cabin  on 
Kearfsarye,  will  bail  this  present  volume  with  genuine  de- 
light. It  is  a  continuation  of  that  story,  with  the  same 
characters,  and  relates  the  adventures  of  the  Merry  family 
during  the  vacation  season,  the  camping-out  place  being 
changed  from  Kearsarge  to  the  Notch,  and  the  bark  cabin 
giving  place  to  a  large  ient  for  a  summer  residence.  The 
location  selected  for  the  camp  is  a  short  distance  down  the 
Notch  road,  within  easy  walk  of  the  Crawford  House  where 
the  ladies  of  the  family  have  a  room,  although  their  days 
are  spent  at  the  tent.  From  this  point  excursions  are 
made  in  all  directions,  every  known  point  of  attraction  being 
visited  and  others  eagerly  searched  for.  One  day  they  make 
the  ascent  of  Mt.  Washington,  the  ladies  going  up  by  rail 
and  the  boys  taking  the  Crawford  bridlepath.  Another 
they  climb  Mt.  Willard- to  enjoy  the  magnificent  panorama 
spread  out  below,  and  one  clay  the  boys  take  part  in  an  ex- 
citing but  unsuccessful  bear  hunt.  The  author  has  inter- 
woven Avith  his  story  many  of  the  local  traditions  of  the 
mountains,  and  his  descriptions  of  the  natural  scenery  of  the 
region  are  so  vivid  and  accurate  that  one  who  has  gone  over 
the  same  ground  almost  feels  as  if  the  book  were  a  narrative 
of  real  occurrences.  Like  the  first  voluem  of  the  series, 
The  Tent  in  the  Notch  is  capital  reading,  even  for  old  folks. 
To  the  boys  and  girls  who  expect  to  make  the  mountains  a 
visit  this  summer,  it  is,  aside  from  its  interest  as  a  story,  as 
good  as  a  guide  book,  and  what  they  will  learn  from  its 
pages  will  add  greatly  to  their  enjoyment. 

Over  Seas:  or,  Here,  There,  and  Everywhere.  Ill 
Boston:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.00.  Twenty-one  bright, 
sparkling  sketches  of  travel  and  sight-seeing  make  up  the 
contents  of  this  handsome  volume,  which  every  boy  and  girl 
will  delight  to  read.  The  various  stories  are  all  by  popular 
authors,  and  cover  adventures  in  Italy,  Germany,  France, 
and  other  countries  of  Europe,  China,  Mexico,  and  some  out 
of  the  way  corners  of  the  world  where  travellers  seldom  get, 
and  which  young  readers  know  little  about.  They  are  full 
of  instructive  information,  and  the  boy  or  girl  who  reads 
them  will  know  a  great  deal  more  about  fqreign  countries 
and  the  curious  things  they  contain  than  could  be  gained 
from  many  larger  and  more  pretentious  books.  The  volume 
is  profusely  illustrated. 


RECENT     BOOKS 


Yensie  Walton.  By  Mrs.  S.  E.  Graham  Clark.  Bos- 
ton: D.  Lotlirop  &  Co.  $1.50.  Of  the  many  good  hooks 
which  the  Messrs.  Lotlirop  have  prepared  for  the  shelves  of 
Sunday-school  libraries,  "  Yensie  Walton "  is  one  of  the 
best.  It  is  a  sweet,  pure  story  of  girl  life,  quiet  as  the  flow 
of  a  brook,  and  yet  of  sufficient  interest  to  hold  the  attention 
of  the  most  careless  reader.  Yensie  is  an  orphan,  who  has 
found  a  home  with  an  uncle,  a  farmer,  some  distance  from 
the  city.  Her  aunt,  a  coarse,  vulgar  woman,  and  a  tyrant 
in  the  household,  does  her  best  to  humiliate  her  by  making 
her  a  domestic  drudge,  taking  away  her  good  clothing  and 
exchanging  it  for  coarse,  ill-fitting  garments,  and  scolding 
her  from  morning  till  night.  This  treatment  develops  a 
spirit  of  resistance;  the  mild  and  affectionate  little  girl  be- 
comes passionate  and  disobedient,  and  the  house  is  the 
scene  of  continual  quarrels.  Fortunately,  her  uncle  insists 
upon  her  attending  school,  and  in  the  teacher,  Miss  Gray, 
she  finds  her  first  real  friend.  In  making  her  acquaintance 
a  new  life  begins  for  her.  She  is  brought  in  contact  with 
new  and  better  influences,  and  profiting  by  them  becomes  in 
time  a  sunbeam  in  her  uncle's  house,  and  the  means  of 
softening  the  heart  and  quieting  the  tongue  of  the  aunt  who 
was  once  her  terror  and  dread.  Mrs.  Clark  has  a  very  pleas- 
ing style,  and  is  especially  skilful  in  the  construction  of  her 
stories. 

"Yensie  Walton"  is  a  story  of  great  power,  by  a  new 
author.  It  aims  to  show  that  God  uses  a  stern  discipline  to 
form  the  noblest  characters,  and  that  the  greatest  trials  of 
life  often  prove  the  greatest  blessings.  The  story  is  subor- 
dinate to  this  moral  aim,  and  the  earnestness  of  the  author 
breaks  out  into  occasional  preaching.  But  the  story  is  full 
of  striking  incident  and  scenes  of  great  pathos,  with  occa- 
sional gleams  of  humor  and  fun  by  way  of  relief  to  the  more 
tragic  parts  of  the  narrative.  The  characters  arc  strongly 
drawn,  and,  in  general,  are  thoroughly  human,  not  gifted 
with  impossible  perfections  but  having  those  infirmities  of 
the  flesh  which  make  us  all  akin. 


New  Publications. 


The    Lokd's    Pursebearers.      By    Hesba    Stretton. 
Boston.  D.   Lothrop  &   Co.     Price  $1.25.     The  name  of 
Hesba  Stretton   is   too   well   known   in   English   literature 
to  render  it  necessary  to  make  special   commendation  of 
any  work  from  her  pen.     No  writer  of  religious  fiction 
stands  higher  in  England,  and  there  is  not  a  Sunday-school 
library  where  some  one  of  her  volumes  may  not  be  found. 
She  has  the  faculty  of   entertaining  and  instructing  at  the 
same   time.      The    present    publishers    have  made   special 
arrangements  with  her  for  the  production  in  this  country 
of   her  latest  work,  and  the  probabilities  are  that  all   her 
future    books  will    bear    their  imprint.      In    The    Lord's 
Pursebearers   the   author  draws  a  terrible   picture   of  life 
among    the  vicious    poor   in    London   streets,   and    shows 
by   what    shifts   the   professional    beggars   and    thieves   of 
the  great  Babylon  manage  to  live  and  thrive  on  the  mis- 
placed   charity  of  the  pitying  well-to-do  population.     She 
arouses  a  strong  feeling  of  sympathy  for  the  children  who 
are   bred   in   the   haunts  of  vice,  and   who   are   instructed 
in  crime  before  they  are  old  enough  to  know  the  meaning 
of  the   word.     The   story   is   one   of  intense  interest,  and 
the   characters,  especially  those  of  old  Isaac   Chippendell, 
his   granddaughter    Joan,   and    little    Lucky,    are   forcibly 
drawn.      One   can    hardly  believe   that    such   places   exist 
or  that  such  deeds   are  perpetrated  as  are  here  described, 
but  one  who  is  familiar  with  London  and  its  streets  knows 
that  they  are  no  exaggerations.     The  volume  is  illustrated. 


The  Afterglow  of  European  Travel.  By  Adelaide 
L.  Harrington.  Boston :  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.50. 
This  pleasant  record  of  experiences  abroad  will  delight  those 
who  have  gone  over  the.  same  ground,  as  well  as  those  who 
have  never  strayed  beyond  the  bounds  of  their  own  country. 
It  is  not  a  connected  story  of  travel,  but  consists  of  reminis- 
cences and  descriptions  of  various  spots  and  objects  which 
made  the  deepest  and  most  lasting  impression  upon  the 
writer. 


New  Publications. 


A  Fortunate  Failure.  By  Caroline  B.  LeRow.  Bos- 
con:  D.  Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  $1.25.  The  author  of  this 
charming  book  is  widely  known  as  a  successful  writer  of 
magazine  stories,  and  any  thing  from  her  pen  is  sure  of  a 
multitude  of  readers.  Her  style  is  clear  and  flowing,  and 
she  is  peculiarly  happy  in  the  invention  of  incidents.  In 
the  present  volume  her  powers  are  shown  at  their  best.  The 
principal  character  of  the  story  is  Emily  Sheridan,  the 
bright,  ambitious  daughter  of  a  New  Hampshire  farmer, 
whose  pride  and  comfort  she  is.  Taken  from  her  quiet  sur- 
roundings by  a  rich  aunt  and  placed  at  a  distant  boarding- 
school,  she  meets  new  friends,  and  new  paths  are  opened  to 
her  in  life.  It  is  the  author's  plan  to  trace  her  development 
under  the  changed  and  varying  influences  which  surround 
her,  and  to  show  how  she  is  affected  in  heart  and  mind  by 
them.  Nothing  can  change  the  natural  sweetness  of  her 
character,  however,  her  experiences  serving  only  to  ripen 
and  bring  out  the  finer  and  higher  qualities  of  her  nature. 
In  one  of  her  companions,  Laura  Fletcher,  the  author  draws 
the  type  of  a  certain  class  of  girls  to  be  found  everywhere  — 
bright,  warm-hearted,  full  of  life,  and  tinctured  with  tomboy- 
ism  and  a  love  of  slang.  Maxwell  King  is  another  well-de- 
lineated character  bearing  an  important  part  in  the  story. 
We  do  not  propose  to  sketch  the  plot  in  detail;  that  would 
spoil  it  for  most  readers,  and  we  do  not  wish  to  deprive 
them  of  the  pleasure  they  will  find  in  reading  the  story  for 
themselves. 


Mary  Burton  Abroad.  By  Pansy.  111.  Boston:  D. 
Lothrop  &  Co.  Price  75  cents.  This  pleasant  book  i*  made 
up  of  a  series  of  letters  supposed  to  have  been  written  from 
some  of  the  great  cities  of  Europe,  principally  Edinburgh 
and  London.  They  contain  information  about  objects  of 
♦nterest  in  these  places,  descriptive  and  historical,  and  are 
.Vritten  in  that  gossipy,  unconventional  style  which  is  pleas- 
ing to  children. 


;■:• 

H 

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